Gemstone's Oath
by Cosmos
Summary: The determination to fulfill a promise made by love surpasses even death...but can it conquer fate?
1. Binding Promises

(2001)Well, with this story I have finally have all my stories  
uploaded onto this site (Fanfiction.Net) Like the other three,  
this story was written a while back, but I didn't put it on  
Fanfiction.Net until now. Again, if anyone/reviewers who  
want me to reply to them, then please add your email address  
to your review or else I would never know how to contact you.  
Thanks for the great reviews on my other stories!  
  
A little briefing on what this story is about. Gemstone's Oath, if you can  
tell from the title, is about the four generals, Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite,  
and Jadeite. This story takes place in Crystal Tokyo with Rini after the  
Dark Moon Kingdom. This story focuses on all four Generals, so you would  
find the narration switching from one general to another quite often.  
  
This story is rated PG for language and stuff (Nothing serious, so don't  
worry. The worse thing possible would be the word "damn" (^_^))  
  
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness  
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made  
possible by DiC.  
  
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com  
  
= thoughts  
[ ] = author's note  
  
Well, enough of my babbling! I hope you'll like this fanfic! Enjoy!  
  
============================================================================  
GEMSTONE'S OATH   
========================= By Cosmos ==================================  
  
Chapter 1: Binding Promises  
  
  
A sad sigh escaped between her lush pink lips as he held her in a tight  
embrace fearing to let her go because he didn't know if he would ever be  
able to return to her. A battle raged in his kingdom, but a battle also  
raged deep within his heart. He knew he could not stay though he wished he  
could. His gray-blue eyes looked down at her with sorrow and with love.  
Her pale yellow hair flowed around her like the waves of the ocean held  
together only by a single orange silk bow. He held her longer as long as  
he could, but his guardian instincts told him that it was time to let her  
go, duty called and his Prince awaited him.  
  
"Must you leave?" she whispered her voice like a lost soul pleading to the  
heavens.  
  
"I have to," he replied, "my prince needs me, I have to protect our  
kingdom, my home."  
  
"I don't want you to go," her tearful tone drifted up to him breaking his  
heart.  
  
"And I do not want to leave you, but my duty calls and I must comply."  
He lifted her chin up with a gentle hand and looked deep into her pale blue  
eyes now sparkling with tears. "Do not worry my love," he whispered to her,  
"after this war is over, I will return to you."  
  
"Do you promise?"  
  
He looked at her intently, taking in her beauty and her vibrant spirit to  
lock into his heart. He bent down until his lips were only a breath away  
from hers and whispered, "I promise." And he sealed his oath with a  
passionate kiss that she would remember for over two thousand years.  
  
  
  
In another part of the silent garden two other hearts were also suffering.  
He stood behind her watching in silence as the night wind played with her  
raven colored hair causing it to float around her like a black silk curtain.  
He stepped forward quietly and ran his hand gently through it. She started  
and turned around to find herself imprisoned in his light turquoise gaze.  
He did not move. He only looked deep into her fiery violet eyes, entranced  
by its beauty and its mysteries. Suddenly he stepped forward and captured  
her within his strong arms pulling her close against his body. Her warmth  
seeped into his torn soul easing the pain deep within his heart.  
  
He felt her body shake as tears began to attack her. His arms around her  
tightened as his soul cried with her. "Sshh," he soothed her, "do not cry  
my love…my fire. Please don't be sad."  
  
"How can you tell me to not be sad," her fiery voice flowed into his ears,  
"when tonight you shall leave me?" He smiled behind the darkness of night.  
God, how he loved her! He loved her fiery temper and her spirited violet  
eyes. But must he lose her? This war, it was all because of this lousy war.  
  
Turning strong beautiful eyes down to look at her face, he whispered in a  
tone filled with passion and pain, "I am not leaving you. I will never  
leave you, but please, my love, understand that I must go to fight. My  
prince and my friends need me. You are a soldier. Please understand my  
situation."  
  
She looked up into his pleading eyes seeing the sorrow that now hid the  
mischievous light that had once shone in them. She could see a great  
battle between desire and duty raging in his soul, and the floods of  
emotions slicing his heart in twain "I understand," she sighed sadly,  
"go then, but promise me one thing."  
  
"Anything."  
  
"Come back to me."  
  
"I promise," he whispered into her ears. "And not even death can tear me  
away from you." He bent down to kiss her neck lightly before reluctantly  
releasing her from his tight embrace. He turned and walked away without a  
glance back, because he feared that if he saw her beautiful eyes once more  
he would not be able to leave. Yet, later he would regret of having not  
turned back to see the flames of love shone brightly in her eyes on that  
mournful night…because only later would he know of the length of time that  
he would have to endure until he could see those fiery violet gems again.  
  
She stood there with her arms wrapped tightly around her attempting to hold  
back the warmth of his body that was escaping her. She watched his  
retreating figure through a vision that was blurred both with tears and  
infinite passion until his tall form dissolved into the night. A tear  
escaped her eye. Something deep within her, an unknown knowledge told her  
that this might be the last time she would see him alive.  
  
  
  
"Why must they seek to destroy the peace that we have so long fought for?"  
she whispered, her beautiful emerald eyes searched deep within his own green  
ones. "Who would wish to choose such a destructive path where nothing could  
be gained but pain and tears. Why can't they just leave the world as it is,  
peaceful and lovely as it is now? I don't understand. Is it so hard to  
live in harmony with one another? I will never understand where such greed  
and lust for power could ever exist in a heart." Her questions echoed what  
was unsaid in so many hearts tonight. So many lives would be destroyed in  
this battle, and so many loves would be lost.  
  
Her body began to shake as uncontainable tears overcame her. He held her  
close feeling the same hot tears rising into his own eyes. He had no  
answers for her. His heart was asking the very same questions. Why? Why  
us? It was always "why?" He hated those questions because he could never  
find the answers to them. He wanted to tell her that things would be all  
right, but he did not. He could not lie to her.  
  
Yet, an unknown emotion within the depths of his soul told him that though  
he would not see her again…in this place…of this time…it also told him that  
this would not be the last time…someday they will meet once more. His eyes  
darkened in confusion, but he dismissed this premonition to be only false  
hope created by his aching heart.  
  
From the silver balcony upon which they were standing overlooking the grand  
garden below, he cast his light emerald gaze darkened with sorrow up toward  
the heavens. His gaze caught the beautiful blue and white swirls of his  
home, Earth. He looked at it, almost pleading to it that things would…that  
things *must* be better than this. It cannot end this way. He didn't want  
to lose her. He loved her too much. He allowed his gaze to drop down onto  
her tear stained face again. Even though she was overwhelmed with intense  
grief, she still looked as beautiful as ever…if not more.  
  
He suddenly remembered that he was holding something for her in his hands.  
The smooth edges of the precious gift rubbed gently against his palms. His  
hands tightened on it, as if the gift itself was she, and he feared that if  
he let go he would lose her forever. He had curved these items for the past  
several days, before he knew of the war that was to forever change his life.  
He had meant this gift as a love token, pledging his heart to her until the  
end of time, but now this gift would take on a new meaning. No longer  
simply a love token, it would later be the symbol of their innocent  
love…and his memorial.  
  
"I have something for you," he whispered to her.  
  
Surprised, she looked up with eyes sparkling with unshed tears.  
"What is it?" she barely whispered.  
  
"Open your hand." She held her shaking hand with the palm up to him.  
He dropped something into her hand, which instinctively folded around the  
delicate objects. She looked down at her hand desperately clutching the  
objects he had just given her. Slowly she opened them and her eyes widen  
with surprise. A pair of lovely earrings lay in her open palm. They were  
made of the most beautiful gemstone cut in the shape of a pair of soft pink  
roses.  
  
She was breathless with wonder. She looked up to him with her mouth open  
to thank him, but her tears prevented her from saying anything. Her  
gratitude was trapped in her tight throat refusing to come out. But she  
need not say anything because he could see all that she had to say, all  
that she wanted to say in her lovely emerald eyes.  
  
He bent his head down close to hers, his lips only a kiss away. His dark  
verdant gaze delved deep into her eyes. "I love you," he whispered to her.  
"No matter what happens, always know that my heart belongs to you…and only  
you."  
  
She looked at him in silence. Her heart pounding with the incredible  
strength of her love for him. "If you truly love me," she whispered to  
him, "then give me this one promise."  
  
"Just say it and my promise is yours."  
  
"Then you will promise to return to me after this war?"  
  
"I will return to you even after the world ends," he whispered to her,  
unaware of the ominous note in the words that he has just spoken.  
  
"Promise me then."  
  
"I promise," he said as he felt her warm lips caressed his so gently.  
Her kisses melted in his mouth like a luscious piece of chocolate, but  
even chocolate could not taste as sweet.  
  
  
  
The motionless reflections of the multitudes of stars in the heavens were  
quickly disturbed by a crystalline tear that fell upon its shining surface.  
The face of a lovely young girl with short hair the color of ice appeared  
on the surface of the quiet lake. Suddenly another face appeared, that of  
a young man with long blond hair and blue eyes that were now darkened with  
grief.  
  
"You know the odds of winning this war is almost none," she whispered to  
him, trying to sound calm and serious but her voice felled her. Instead  
her words came out choked with pain.  
  
He wrapped his strong arms gently around her shoulders pulling her close to  
him as they sat there gazing at the reflections of heaven on that clear blue  
surface. The cold wind floated around them and blew her soft blue hair  
against her beautiful pale face. He raised a hand and tucked her silky  
hair gently behind her ear.  
  
The wind was unusually cold on this particular night. Its icy arms wrapped  
themselves around her and caused her to tremble in its passionless embrace.  
He noticed her shiver. He tightened his embrace around her and pulled her  
even closer to him. The love in his heart quickly warmed her and the cold  
wind released its grip on her. She looked up to him and he saw the tears  
that now fell uncontrollably down her mournful face. Her lush pink lips  
were trembling as she felt the blades of sorrow slice her heart in two.  
  
He bent down and caressed her lips with his trying to calm her then he  
looked back into her warm azure eyes once more. "Do not think about the  
war," he whispered to her through the still night.  
  
"How could I not when it is the one thing that is taking you away from me?  
I dread the thought of what may happen to you in this war."  
  
"Then do not think it," he spoke softly, "Just think about you and me, and  
the now. Whatever may happen, always remember that my love for you will  
never cease…even when my life blood does."  
  
"Oh, please don't say that!" she cried. "I don't want you to go! I don't  
want you to leave me…please, stay."  
  
"You know I can't, love," he replies gently, "I have an obligation as a  
guardian to protect my Prince and my home."  
  
"…as I have an obligation to protect mine," she said, "I know, though I  
wish I didn't." Quietly, like the silent wind around them she whispered  
to him the one question he had hoped she would not ask, "Will you come  
back to me when this war is over?"  
  
He fell silent for a moment. What could he say? What *should* he say?  
He had no answer to that question. He would have loved to answer "Yes!  
Yes, I will return to you! I will come back and nothing could stop me!"  
but he knew he could not say it. They both knew that anything could  
happen in this war…that maybe…maybe…he would not return; and he did not  
want to hurt her by lying to her.  
  
She knew he had feared that question ever since the Earth Kingdom was  
attacked. He feared it not because he was afraid to die, but because of  
what he may leave behind…what he may loose with death. But tonight, she  
was determined to have an answer, if only to have something to hope for,  
something to hold onto. "Promise me that you will return," she insisted,  
"please promise me."  
  
"But I…"  
  
"Just promise…please just let me have this one promise."  
  
"I…," he looked at her mournful face as he felt his heart crumbled to dust.  
"I promise," he finally whispered; and in his mind he added, And I will  
do whatever it may take to keep this promise.  
  
"I promise," he whispered again as he bent down to capture her lips in a  
passionate kiss that warmed them both despite the cold wind raging around  
them.  
  
  
  
I believe even the night was warmed by their kiss…by all their love. The  
bright stars twinkled silently against the dark velvet sky providing the  
only witnesses to this mournful night. Carried on the invisible arms of  
the night's wind, the promises they made rose into the heavens to be kept  
within the secure arms of these stars until one day when destiny will have  
them fulfill the promises they made on this sad night so long ago.  
  
===========================================  
Copyright (c) 1999, Cosmos.  



	2. Unlocking the Past

Hello! I've forgotten to mention in the first chapter's author's note that  
this story is related to the Manga, taking place not long after the Dark  
Moon Kingdom. (Never at peace are we?)  
  
This story is rated PG (Nothing serious, so don't worry) ^_~  
  
Oh yeah, PLEASE email me and tell me what you think of my story.  
Critiques, compliments, suggestions, questions, anything would be fine.  
Just FEED MY EMAIL INBOX! (A hungry little monster isn't it? ^_~)  
  
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness  
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made  
possible by DiC.  
  
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com  
  
= thoughts  
[ ] = author's note  
  
All right, on with the show!  
  
============================================================================  
GEMSTONE'S OATH   
========================= By Cosmos ==================================  
  
Chapter 2: Unlocking the Past  
  
  
Crystal Tokyo…two thousand years later.  
  
  
The soft warm night breeze blows silently through the large open window to  
play with the grand silk curtains that adorn the frame. The two entities  
dance together like two lost lovers under the pale light of the moon.  
  
Slowly the moonlight floats away from the window to cast its enchantment on  
four beautiful stones that lay within a protected glass container atop a  
blue marble column with strange golden swirls adorning its smooth surface.  
The pale light caresses their glistening surfaces gently. The moonlight  
creates a strange aura around each gem giving the illusion that they are  
glowing, but upon close observation I realize that it is no illusion. A  
strange light does shine from each stone. The faint color of lilac, a faint  
emerald green, a faint glow of turquoise, and that of pale blue lights  
radiate from each stone invading the darkness of the night.  
  
The gentle caresses of the pale moonlight brought unknown warmth to these  
four lonely gems, a warmth that they have long forgotten. The light  
penetrates their soul, stirring a strong emotion hidden deep within.  
In the silent room, a sad sigh escapes between cold lips that have forgotten  
the warmth of a kiss…lips that once knew how to smile, but now only moan in  
the lonely night under the pale light of the moon. The faint light catches  
on beautiful sparkling pairs of eyes gazing longingly at the moon,   
reflecting  
a yearning for something lost long ago, a lost memory perhaps…or a lost   
love.  
Magnificent pairs of eyes that once shone with laughter and love, but now  
conquered by tears. The light from one of these stones increases in  
intensity until the entire room is filled with the color blue. The faint  
image of a tall young man appears in front of the stone. His long wavy  
blond hair tied with a thin strip of blue silk ribbon waves silently in the  
invisible wind that blew around him. His faint form, like the soft silver  
mist that now covered the sleeping roses in the garden below, floats toward  
the window. His somber blue eyes glance mournfully at the smooth marble  
floor beneath him. No shadow, he sighs. His form casts no shadows.  
Instead the pale moonlight drifts right through him and the wan silk curtain  
floats pass him as if he is not there. He looks up at the moon as a tear  
escapes his eyes. Again the celestial body in the heavens evokes a stir of  
strange emotions, emotions that he once knew but have forgotten.  
  
For reasons unknown, the moon captivates him. Its beautiful calmness  
reminds him of someone he had once known, but he knew not where or when.  
A dim image of the silhouette of a slim figure surfaces in his mind. The  
stir of hidden memories tickles his senses and causes a strange pang in his  
heart. He wonders why the moon does this to him every time he gazed at it?  
Is there something linked with the moon? A memory? A person? A past? For a  
long time he simply stood there watching the moon in silence as tears drift  
uncontrollably down his handsome face. A past, he sighs, something I  
don't have. The future is built upon the past, without a past I have no  
future. A life without a past does not, cannot exist. he laughs with irony  
and thinks What difference does it make? I don't even have a life.  
With that he raised a hand and placed it on his chest trying to feel the  
beating of his heart, but he feels none.  
  
Suddenly an unknown voice sounded in his mind. The voice is so familiar,  
soft like a spring breeze, but familiarity is all that he recognizes. He  
hears words…familiar words spoken so long ago on a night much like this one  
where tears were shed and emotions awakened. "…my love for you will never  
cease even when my life blood does." So familiar, he thinks, why does  
that sound so familiar? Unknowingly, what he recalls are words he had said  
in a time long gone. His eyes darkened with confusion as his soul and  
heart demands him to remember...to remember of that time...of that night...  
so long ago.  
  
Behind him, across the dark room, another image of a young man emerges from  
a lilac colored gem to float over a rich blue velvet seat giving the  
illusion that he is sitting on the chair. A large oak table stood nearby  
beside another grand window. The pale light of the moon soaked through the  
ocean-blue silk curtains to cast pale bars of light on his solemn face as  
if to imprison him in his misery. His shoulder length white hair drifts  
around him while his gray-blue eyes stare vacantly in front of him. Deep  
in thought, he sees nothing of the chamber, only of what is awakening in  
his heart. Much like his companion across the room, he also senses  
something being aroused deep within him. A strange but strong force is  
awakening from deep within his mind and his heart. Yet, he cannot  
pinpoint its exact nature. He cannot name the nameless.  
So strange, he thinks. This feeling is so strange, yet I know it  
from somewhere. The emotion warms his soul for the first time in a long  
time. He does not fight it; instead he welcomes it with open arms. It  
soothes his worn spirit, but strengthens the loneliness within his heart.  
  
"What is it that we are sensing, Kunzite?" a voice drifts to him, "Is it a  
warning? A premonition? Might Endymion be in danger, do you think?" He looks  
over his shoulder to find his two other companions sitting at the dark  
leather couch looking at him with confusion reflecting brightly in their  
eyes.  
  
"I do not know, Nephrite," he replied quietly, "though I wish I did.  
This…this is something I have never before encountered…at least I don't  
remember ever coming against such a strange stir of emotions before."  
  
"Neither do I," Zoisite spoke up by the window.  
  
"It feels like a long lost memory…from a dream," Jadeite whispers from the  
couch.  
  
"More like a long lost part of my soul," Nephrite mumbled in the darkness.  
"Since the day we were brought back as…as these forms…as spirits trapped  
within the hard walls of these gemstones, I have always felt a strange  
emptiness…a rift between my heart and my soul."  
  
"Maybe it is," Kunzite says. "Maybe it is something that we have forgotten  
when Beryl brainwashed us during the Silver Millenium. Perhaps if we can  
recall what this missing memory is that hollowness within our hearts will  
at last be filled and we will finally feel whole again."  
  
"But what is it that we must remember?" Zoisite questions.  
  
"Must?" Jadeite asks him.  
  
"Hmm…," Kunzite says thoughtfully, "Jadeite is right. Why *must*? What  
makes this strange past event, thing, occurrence, whatever you may call it,  
so important that we have to remember it? And why is it now that this  
*memory* is finally awakening? Why didn't it resurface thirty years ago,  
20 years, or even yesterday?"  
  
Silence envelops them. Questions. So many questions and so few answers.  
Is it possible that a simple emotion can raise so many questions, and stir  
to life so much in one's heart? They sat there as no one spoke. Each lost  
deep in their own thoughts as they try to understand this new emotion that  
now invades their lonely hearts. Surprisingly, they do not feel fear toward  
this unknown invasion. Instead they feel warm and protected…and almost  
happy, if not for the incredible feelings of loneliness that is evoked in  
them. As each sat trapped in their minds, a faint image appears in their  
thoughts along with voices…such angelic voices…so gentle…so warm. Each of  
them hear a voice unique to them…voices that sounds so familiar to  
them…voices that they have all yearned to hear for a long time. "Promise me  
you'll come back to me," the voices say its tones sound so sad that it broke  
their hearts.  
  
Tears…beautiful eyes of blue, raging violet, pale blue and strong green  
appear in their minds, but they were crying. These beautiful pairs of eyes  
were flooded with tears. At first surprise, Kunzite whispers aloud, "W-what  
is happening to us? What are all these images and sounds?" In his mind,  
Kunzite sees tears invade a certain beautiful pair of sky-blue eyes. For  
unknown reasons, he feels a strange aching pain within the depths of his  
soul. No don't cry, Kunzite pleads, please don't cry.  
  
No, Jadeite thinks, do not mourn. Do not look so sad. He feels  
helpless to stop the onslaught of these unrelenting tears in this beautiful  
pair of fiery violet eyes. Strangely, he senses that he knows these eyes;  
he has seen them before. NO! His heart screams, I can't take this  
anymore! I feel like I'm fight against my very soul.  
  
Zoisite sits entranced by a certain pair of clear blue eyes that now  
appears in his mind. A strange warm light seems to shine in them, but they  
are hidden from him by the floods of sorrow. I wish I can stop your pain,  
Zoisite thinks, I wish I can bring laughter to you.  
Wishes…so many wishes…and none have come true. How long has he been   
wishing?  
Over a thousand years? Since his rebirth as a gemstone he had always  
hoped…had always wished that he could be what he once was…a human…a  
person…alive. But he wished in vain, because he is still what he is now, an  
inanimate object of sheer beauty and value…but lifeless and emotionless.  
And now he wishes again, only to add to the mounds of other hopes he had  
dumped into the dark closet of his mind, knowing that this like all his  
other dreams will never come true.  
  
Why are you so sad? Nephrite asks the unseen owner of the pair of emerald  
eyes he now confronts. His brows knit together in confusion. Why is he so  
affected by the tears being shed by these lovely emerald gems?  
Why does he feel so torn and lost inside? He sighs sadly. Why, he  
thinks, always the question 'why'. God, I hate those questions…questions  
that I can never find the answers to…questions that always haunt me.  
  
"Promise me you will return to me," the voices ask again. "Please promise  
me."  
  
Strangely, their hearts are not giving them any peace. With each  
cry…with each tear they can feel their souls contort in agonizing pain.  
They cannot stand to see such grief and despair. The unseen spirits'  
misery acts like daggers that cut deep into their hearts, and their  
voices are like mournful ghosts coming to haunt them. The Generals have  
suffered much pain already, why must they suffer more? They are  
confused. What is happening? Who *are* the owners of these voices? And why  
have they appeared to only haunt them and make them suffer the same  
miserable fate?  
  
Why? Again it is the why that is obscured.  
  
"Please promise," the voices plead.  
  
Promise what? Kunzite wonders. What is it that they want me to promise?  
Who are you?  
  
They don't know. They just can't understand, but they know that there is  
something familiar about all this. This has happened before…so long ago.  
But why is it happening again? And why is it happening to them? They're all  
confuse…so very confuse. Their minds are questioning all these strange  
images, voices, and emotions, but their hearts are demanding for them.  
Knowing that they will never have peace unless they give what these spirits  
demand, the Generals each give these voices of the past their promises  
to something unseen and unknown but emotionally needed and desired.  
  
"I promise."  
  
Their words are echoes of what they have said long ago, over two thousand  
years ago. Suddenly, floods of images…of long forgotten memories and  
emotions appear to them, overwhelming their senses. They begin to feel  
dizzy as the past is revealed to them…of the war that devastated their home,  
killed their Prince, and separated them from the ones they have loved long  
ago.  
  
"I promise."  
  
One single phrase made up of only two simple words is the key to everything  
that they have lost on that mournful night; and it is this phrase that will  
lead them to their destiny…and to the one particular thing that they have  
longed for but have been barred from for so long…love. So now the key has  
been turned…and their true reincarnation begins…  
  
[flashback to Silver Millenium]  
  
"No Beryl!" Endymion shouted, "Don't do this! Don't do something that you'll  
regret later."  
  
"Why would I regret killing that little brat?" Beryl shouted back.  
"She stole you away from me! I am the one who is rightfully your queen!"  
  
"NO!" Endymion screamed in anger, "You can *never* be my Queen, because I  
will *never* love you! Selenity is the *only* one I love and will ever love!  
Get that into your head, Beryl!"  
  
"But why?" Beryl questioned her voice like daggers in the dark air. "What  
is it that you see in her? She is nothing but a weakling Endymion! Come,  
come and join me. I am the one who holds the power and the victory!"  
  
"You want to know why I love her?" Endymion whispered through his clenched  
teeth, his deadly steel blue glare piercing into Beryl. "Because she is the  
opposite of what you are! She is kind and considerate. You are cruel and  
greedy. I can never love a snake like you!"  
  
"Aaarrgghh!" Beryl screamed hysterically. "You will pay for that, Endymion!  
Everyone will pay for all the pains I've suffered!" Beryl held Endymion's  
challenging gaze with her own and whispered in a low deadly tone, "Fine  
then. Have it your way. You both can be together…together in hell!"  
  
"NO!" Selenity screamed as Beryl stabbed her dark sword into Endymion's  
chest. Four other voices also screamed in the distance as unknown pain  
seared into their minds.  
  
"Endymion!" Kunzite shouted.  
  
"Prince!" the other three screamed as they all rushed toward their prince,  
but they were all too late. What met their eyes shocked them cold to the  
core. They saw their prince and dear friend dead in the arms of his love.  
Selenity's crystal tears bathed his pale face as she held him in her arms;  
her beautiful white dress now soaked red with his blood.  
  
They were too late. Oh God! They were too late…too late.  
  
"Beryl," Kunzite hissed, "you will die for this!"  
  
Beryl looked at him unconcerned. "None of you can defeat me!" she screamed  
demonically. "Your Prince is dead…and so is your weak kingdom. *I* am now  
Queen of Earth. You should bow to me, General Kunzite."  
  
"We will *never* serve a traitor like you, witch!" Nephrite shouted angrily  
at her.  
  
"*You* are the traitors, not me! You all have spent too much time with the  
Moon weaklings. They have softened you to mere pulps. You should join me  
and help me conquer this world. *I* will make the Earth Kingdom what it  
should be, the sole ruler of the Silver Planetary Alliances. Earth will be  
the most powerful Kingdom of the Silver Millenium…not those arrogant  
Moonlings! We will destroy those foolish Moon cowards! Come, join the  
winning side!"  
  
"You are *not* part of the Earth Kingdom, Beryl, not anymore! You are  
nothing but a puppet of the dark Queen." Kunzite shouted back.  
  
Zoisite added, his blue eyes blazing with fury, "You are blinded by your  
greed, Beryl! Can't you see that Queen Metallica is only using you? Can't  
you see what your greed is doing to the kingdom? You are not making Earth  
stronger. You are destroying it!"  
  
"*I* am not the ones who are blind," Beryl said in a mocking tone. "I have  
seen that the dark force is much stronger than you cowards. I am only  
choosing the winning side."  
  
"Enough!" Jadeite shouted. Intense green flames of rage and hatred burned  
within his blue-green eyes. "There is no use talking to a greedy little  
monster like her! You are a traitor to our kingdom and you are a damn  
murderer! There is only one punishment for you and that is death!"  
  
"Die Beryl," Kunzite whispered in an icy tone as bright light began to  
gather in his hands, "Die like the treacherous dog you are!" Two large  
light blades appeared in each of his hands. He quickly threw the blades  
straight at Beryl, but she easily deflected it with her dark sword.  
  
"Is that all you have?" Beryl held out her hands and a long black staff  
appeared in them. "You are fools!" She whispered between her clenched  
teeth. "I can kill you all with a mere swipe of my hand, but I will not.  
Fortunately for you I need your services."  
  
Their eyes widen in surprise…and fear. The last phrase she spoke pierced  
their minds as its meaning sank into their brain like concrete in water.  
No, Kunzite thought. NO! I cannot let her do this! She must not… But  
she was too strong. There was nothing they could do. Before they had a  
chance to react, she attacked them with ruthless brutality. Within the  
hour's end, they have all been killed and their souls captured by the dark  
forces.  
  
In the next few weeks, she would have them fulfill a mission that they have  
all feared…even more than death itself. She would have them attack the Moon  
Kingdom…and its four Royal Sailor Guardians.  
  
[end flashback]  
=======================================  
  
[Oh yeah, I'd like to mention my first critic, Ngoc Nguyen, for pointing out  
a slight mistake in Serenity's Legend. The timeline I've set down for  
Serenity's Legend would not fit in with Rini, but I've decided not to change  
it (it'll only make more work for the nice web masters that are hosting my  
stories), but that is all. If one would just exclude Rini then everything's  
fine (anyway, the little kid isn't even in the story).  
  
Another person, Rosey, pointed out another oversight which occurs in this  
story. In Gemstone's Oath, I have Nephrite with green eyes, but according  
to her--and the Anime/Manga--he has light blue eyes. I could not remember  
his eye color while I wrote this, so I went with the color of his name,  
which is a green gem (more appropriate don't you think?)  
  
Well, that's all of my blunders...so far. If you come upon these, simply  
look the other way ^_^! I promise to be more accurate in latter stories.  
Thanks for pointing out my little bloopers. ^_~  
  
Right, Chapter 3 Part 1 coming soon!!!!!]  
  
Copyright (c) 1999, Cosmos.  



	3. Love thy Enemy...Part 1: Past Invasions

Hello!  
This story is related to the Manga, taking place not long after the Dark  
Moon Kingdom.  
  
This story is rated PG (Nothing serious, so don't worry) ^_~  
  
Oh yeah, PLEASE PLEASE!!!! email me and tell me what you think of my story.  
Critiques, compliments, suggestions, questions, anything would be fine.  
MY EMAIL INBOX! It's getting pretty lonely ^_~  
  
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness  
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made  
possible by DiC.  
  
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com  
  
= thoughts  
[ ] = author's note  
  
All right, on with the show!  
  
============================================================================  
GEMSTONE'S OATH   
========================= By Cosmos ==================================  
  
Chapter 3: Love thy Enemy  
  
Part 1: Past Invasions  
  
  
  
"Whooo…Whoohoo!" an owl screeches nearby awakening them all from their  
entranced state. The images of the battle quickly disappear.  
  
"W-what the--" Jadeite cries. "What just happened?"  
  
"We just remembered a piece of our past," Kunzite responds, his voice is  
unsteady from the emotional turmoil this recollection has left in him. He  
looks down at his hands in surprise. He finds them clenched tight revealing  
white knuckles.  
  
"So that was what happened," Zoisite whispers from his place still beside  
the window. None of them have moved since the strange occurrence.  
  
They realize that this is something beyond their control. They did not try  
to remember what was hidden in the past, but the past instinctively came to  
them. Almost like an unknown force has driven them back to relive the fears  
and pains they have wanted to forget. A nagging feeling deep within their  
heart tells them that this is only the beginning of their ordeal. There  
will be more to come, but in the meantime this unknown force has left them  
and their minds at peace, at least for now.  
  
"So is it over?" Nephrite asks, but he already knew the answer to his  
question. There is so much of the unknown…and so much confusion. It seems  
that he just needs someone to confirm these feelings in him. He needs  
something definite, something real right now.  
  
"I'm afraid it is only the beginning," Kunzite replies, giving Nephrite the  
reality he needed. Kunzite gives a tired sigh and stood up. He begins to  
drift toward the door, but before he opens it he hears Jadeites voice  
floating toward him.  
  
"Where are you going Kunzite?"  
  
"I don't know," he responds. "Anywhere and nowhere in particular. Just  
need some time to think." And he left.  
  
The long hallway is dark and ominous. Large shadows seem to be waiting to  
pounce on him from every corner. The atmosphere feels thick and   
suffocating.  
Strange, he thinks. I have never felt this way in the Crystal Palace  
before. Suddenly he feels dizzy. The hallway spins before his eyes like  
a twister. He closes his eyes and falls to his knees with his head between  
his hands. No not again, he cries. I-I don't want to…remember anymore.  
All this…is too…painful.  
  
But this unknown force is relentless. It does not pay any attention to his  
cries for mercy, but simply takes him back to the pains of the past once  
more. This is something you must remember, it seems to say. This is the  
path you have chosen long ago…there is no turning back now.  
  
[Flashback--Silver Millenium.]  
  
"General Kunzite!" A dark voice commanded through the shadows of the empty  
throne room. A tall young man stepped out from among the crowd of soldiers,  
the gray-blue lining of his long white cape outlined his handsome figure and  
enhanced his cold gray-blue eyes.  
  
"Yes," Kunzite spoke in a flat, emotionless voice, "my Queen."  
  
"The time has come," the dark voice stated, "I want you to leave now. You  
and the other three Generals will each take a battalion of ten thousand  
soldiers. Your attack on the Moon Kingdom will be swift…and merciless."  
She paused for a moment and licked her lips as if to savor the blood of her  
enemy that was about to be spilled by the very hands they have once trusted  
and loved. "Queen Metallica is growing impatient with each passing moment.  
I demand that the Moon Kingdom and Queen Serenity be destroyed before  
tomorrow's dawn, is that understood?"  
  
"Yes Queen Beryl," he replied in an icy tone, "Consider your command as good  
as done." He turned and began to strode back toward his soldiers when he  
heard her dark voice floated to him again with a single phrase that brought  
a cruel smile to his cold lips, and a deadly spark of amusement to his dark  
eyes.  
  
"Take no prisoners." Her cruel phrase echoed throughout the room by the  
dark stone walls as if the room itself was chanting it in a hypnotic rhythm.  
  
He did not reply, but instead began to issue orders to his warriors. But in  
his mind he spoke, Don't worry Queen Beryl, no one will be spared…there  
will be *no* survivors.  
Once his troops were prepared, he turned around and took a slight bow to his  
dark Queen. His eyes suddenly flashed with a bright white light and his  
entire army, including himself, disappeared from the dreary palace.  
  
"Queen Beryl," a strange voice hissed from behind her, "What are you going  
to do if something happened to the four Generals of Earth?"  
  
"What does it matter?" she replied nonchalantly, "They are only pawns in  
this game, easily maneuvered and easily replaced."  
  
[end flashback]  
  
"Venus!" a voice sliced through his thoughts, releasing him from the cold  
grip of the painful past.  
  
A soft yellow light filters through his closed lids causing him to quickly  
open them. He jerks his head towards the light and his eyes widen in  
surprise. He sees the dark silhouette of a tall young woman standing in the  
bright doorway. The light from behind her blinds him preventing him from  
seeing her face. Yet, somehow, he knows that she is beautiful, within his  
heart he knows. Besides, he knows that she is one of the Royal Guardians,  
whom he fought against when he was still under Beryl's control in Tokyo,  
but memories of that battle is now vague. His rebirth as a gemstone must  
have destroyed some of that memory, but he does not regret its loss though.  
It would only make him feel guilty for fighting against a friend of his  
King.  
  
"I'm coming, stop yelling Mars!" She cries. "Jeez, that woman will never  
change." The figure quickly strolls down the hallway passing right through  
his crouching form on her way. He closes his eyes as he feels her warmth  
flow through him when she passes by. For just that split second, their  
souls meet once again.  
  
She halts in her track for a brief moment as she feels a strange spark of  
energy shoot through her body like lightning through a stormy sky. Her fair  
brows knit together in confusion, but she simply shook her head dismissing  
it as a figment of her imagination and continues on her way.  
  
"Venus…," he whispers her name. His voice sounds like the murmurs of the  
night breeze calling to her, but unlike to the other voice, she does not  
come to him. Instead, he watches in heavy silence as the darkness of the  
long hall slowly envelops the last golden thread of her long silky hair,  
leaving not a trace of her behind for him to put into his heart. Suddenly  
he feels it again. That unknown force has now come back to reclaim him once  
more. NO! he screams. In his agony he unknowingly stretches a hand out  
in the direction where she had receded, pleading to her to come back and  
save him from this torturous journey to a forgotten and unwanted past.  
  
[flashback to Moon Kingdom]  
  
Once the light from his powers died down, a magnificent sight met his dark  
gaze. A splendid city made of a strange silvery material unfolded before  
him, shining like the starry heavens beneath the pale light of the setting  
sun. Only a short distance away, the tall golden gates of the Moon Palace  
stood in their path. Much like the soldiers of this realm, the gate  
appeared delicate with slim golden railings and bars, yet its powers and  
strength should not be underestimated simply by its appearance. And Kunzite  
knew this. He raised his hand before him as dark light gathered in them  
with increasing intensity. Focusing the strongest points of his powers at  
the very center of the gate, he attacked the barrier. With a single mighty  
blow, the gate was thrown open with pieces of it flying haphazardly around  
him.  
  
Once the smoke and debris cleared, his eyes widened in slight surprise at  
the figure that stood before him with soldiers in equal numbers as his own  
army. Her pale yellow hair floated around her slim form like the waves of  
a mighty ocean graced by the golden dawn. He had seen images of the Moon  
Kingdom's guardian warriors before, but seeing her standing at such a short  
distance from him was an experience far different than simply staring at a  
two dimensional picture. She was a beautiful sight, delicate and radiant,  
but strong and defiant. For a moment, he almost forgot why he was here.  
Her appearance before him stirred a strange, foreign emotion deep within  
him, but that moment was brief as the dark energy polluting his soul quickly  
overcame the power of that emotion and took control of his mind once more.  
His fiery gray-blue eyes narrowed to mere slits as he gave her a sinister  
smile.  
  
"Well, well, well," he drawled, "did Queen Serenity send a mere child to  
fight me?"  
  
She did not reply. She did not move. He gazed intently at her face for  
any signs of reaction to his words, but her face revealed nothing to him.  
Only a slight dilation of her pupils when she first saw him through the dust  
of the explosion was the only reaction he received from her. Whatever  
weaknesses she may have, he could certainly not see it. She was good. He  
admitted it with admiration that she was an opponent worthy of his skills.  
He was going to enjoy taking this lovely warrior down.  
  
Unbeknownst to him was that her appearance was only a façade, a mask to  
hide the pain and turmoil that was destroying her inside. Witnessing the  
death of her Princess…her friend, had devastated her world. It sent her  
reeling to the very pits of hell without a single hope of ever returning.  
And Hermes, the Royal messenger, brought the final blow when he informed  
them days before that the Earth Generals were now working for Queen Beryl.  
Even hell crumbled to pieces then. All that was left for her now was the  
cold dark void of emptiness. He did not know that it took her infinite  
hours of training…and crying…to put on the mask that he now sees.  
  
She knew that Beryl would attack the Moon. In fact, they all knew, but they  
must also realized that they could not let their emotions control them. She  
had a duty to fulfill, and in the name of Venus, she would fulfill it to the  
bitter end.  
  
She had allowed her tears to completely wash away all her emotions, leaving  
her heart bare like the desert that now covered much of the once lush  
Kingdom of Earth. She had sealed her heart into a block of eternal ice to  
never again be melted…and be hurt. So now she stood before him, only the  
shell of what she once was. Her blue eyes burned with hatred, an emotion  
so foreign to her. He will pay for this, her mind cried, the traitor will  
pay dearly for his treachery. Her soul burned with intense fury for  
vengeance, and her heart demanded blood…his blood.  
  
Kunzite stood there in silence. Neither of them made any move to attack.  
Each stood with blazing icy gazes directed at the other. Slowly, quietly,  
like the setting of the sun, she spoke,  
"Come for your funeral, General Kunzite?"  
  
He gave her a cynical smile and responded with daggers, "More like yours."  
  
Silence.  
  
The only peace that now occupies this world was the terrible silence that  
enveloped them. The air felt heavy with great anticipation of the battle  
that was to come. So thick was the atmosphere that he felt it hard to  
breathe suddenly. Within his mind, he thought he heard the dark air cracked  
with lightning and rumbled with thunder, but he shook it off assuming that  
it was only the apprehensive mood unfolding before him.  
  
Suddenly, like the crack of a whip to break the tension of the atmosphere,  
he bellowed out his command, "ATTACK!"  
  
"ATTACK!" She echoed him.  
  
Both of their armies ran toward each other like merciless tidal waves  
ramming against the shore. Yells and screams of pain and agony, as well as  
cries for the blood of the other, rang through the dark air like the screams  
of banshees. Adding to the bloodied scene of the battle, the red glow of  
the setting sun reflected in heaven the crimson tide on earth.  
  
Kunzite faced Venus, sometimes on the offensive and sometimes defending.  
They were equal opponents, matching in fighting skills and power. His eyes  
narrowed as he saw her golden whip lashed out at him. He ran toward her  
and vault over her head, barely missing the dangerous bite of her attack.  
Upon landing on his feet, he immediately let go of his light blades at her,  
but she was swift. She turned around quickly and blocked his attack with  
her Meteor Shower. Multitudes of thin sharp beams of orange light were  
released directly at him. His blades got tangled in the strips of light  
while the rest of the beams raced toward him. This attack was unexpected  
and he dodged it a bit too late. Immediately he felt the consequence of  
his miscalculation as several of those thin beams ripped through his left  
arm leaving horrendous wounds behind. A scream of pain rose in his throat,  
but he bit it back. He would not let her enjoy seeing him suffer. She  
would be the one to suffer once he was through with her. She attacked  
again, leaving little time for him to recover. But much like her, his  
reaction was quick despite his injury. He created an energy field around  
him, which absorbed the laser beam she sent to him. Her eyes widen  
slightly in surprise…and perhaps fear, but *that* she made sure he did not  
see. He felt the strength of her energy flow swiftly into him. His powers  
twisted her pure energy into that of a dark beam of light. He released this  
at her. In her surprised state, she was slow to react to his sudden  
attack. The beam hit her right in the chest, sending her several feet from  
him.  
  
He stood where he was, carefully observing her slump form on the cold  
ground. She did not move and he could not tell if she was breathing,  
either. Humph, he thought, she must be dead. I guess I overestimated  
her. She was too easy to kill.  
  
He walked over toward her crumpled body and looked down with cold  
emotionless gray-blue eyes. He noticed that her chest was moving slightly.  
Still breathing are we? Well, not for long. He bent down to grab a  
handful of hair and pulled her up to meet him face to face. He wanted the  
pleasure of seeing the pain in her lovely face when he destroyed her.  
  
He pulled her up. His cold eyes roamed her face taking in her creamy skin,  
dark thick lashes gracing her cheeks, and lush pink lips barely an inch from  
his. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and he found himself drowned in the  
brightest blue sky he has ever seen. An unexpected rush of emotions her  
eyes stirred in him knocked him back slightly, causing him to loosen his  
grip on her hair. He tried to let go of her, to look away from her  
beautiful gaze, but he found that he could do neither. He stood there  
imprisoned by the innocent gaze of this beautiful soldier.  
  
Strangely, he saw her eyes go from dark cold blue to a lighter softer  
shade. He finally realized that she was now looking at him with unknown  
warmth and love. How could this be? he questioned. Why would she look  
at me that way? Doesn't she know that I will kill her at any moment now?  
  
She saw the confusion flood his dark gray-blue eyes. She saw him fight with  
his inner self, but most of all she saw the darkness that was polluting his  
pure soul. She heard past words whispered in her mind, "Do not worry my  
love after this war is over, I will return to you." My love…my love,  
the two words rolled around her grieving mind. No, she thought as she  
continued to look into his dark soul, he no longer loves me. She  
realized then as she continued to gaze at his cold dark eyes that she had  
lost him. He would not return.  
  
Stop looking at me like that, his mind screamed at her. Stop gazing at  
me with those eyes! His grip on her tightened as the chaotic emotions  
storming within him increased in intensity.  
  
A single pristine tear escaped her eye. His eyes widen in surprise at  
this strange reaction.  
  
Of course, he thought. "You are afraid to die, aren't you?" he hissed.  
  
She did not respond. Instead, she grabbed onto his arms and her hands  
began to glow in a strange orange light. "What the--" he cried out in  
fear. He began to struggle under her grip as he felt a strange warm energy  
pierce into his soul, but her calm sad voice brought his attention back to  
her, again.  
  
"This is one promise I fear you won't be able to keep, my beloved," she  
whispered to him, her voice full of warmth and love, "but I forgive you".  
Suddenly a bright light flashed in his eyes and darkness enveloped them  
both.  
  
Her final attack slammed their limp bodies hard into the ground only a  
slight distance apart. Their blood flowed from them to be mingled with the  
already red land. His hand lay only inches from her face as a small  
crimson tide trickled from his wounds. His blood flowed like a small river  
toward her hair soaking her orange bow in its path, forever changing its  
color of lovely orange to crimson red.  
  
[end flashback]  
  
"NO!" he cries. His agonizing scream reverberates down the dark hallway.  
But his cry goes unheard by the many slumbering forms around him. To them,  
he is only a shadow of the night, a lost soul that can never find peace.  
  
  
  
A sigh escapes his lips. "Where is Kunzite?" he asks. "He is sure taking  
his time to think."  
  
"Let him be, Jadeite," Nephrite says. "This is all a great strain on us.  
He needs his time alone."  
  
"I know," Jadeite mumbled, "but I want to ask him something."  
  
"Well, you can ask him when he comes back," Zoisite says.  
  
"Yeah," Jadeite grumbled, "if he comes back before dawn. Hey, I don't have  
all night waiting here for him."  
  
"Then don't wait," Nephrite says with slight irritation in his voice. "You  
know? I'm going to follow Kunzite's example and take a stroll myself. I  
think I'll go to the garden, I need some fresh air, and besides the air  
would do well to clear up my mind."  
  
"I don't think you need any air to clear up *that* mind," Jadeite whispers  
mockingly.  
  
Nephrite glares at him. Zoisite rolls his eyes but a small smile dances on  
his pale lips. "I see someone is finally back to normal," he says to  
Jadeite.  
  
"Normal?!" Jadeite cries. "You're saying being a gemstone is normal? I  
think not!"  
  
"It is very normal, for us anyway," Zoisite argues, "because we are born  
this way."  
  
"Born?" Jadeite cries, "A rebirth yes, reincarnation sure, but born? No way!  
Hey, I am no hunk of stone lying around on some damn terra firma, okay? I am  
me, Jadeite a human."  
  
"More like Jadeite a moron," Nephrite snickers.  
  
"I heard that!"  
  
"Whatever," Zoisite waves his hand in a gesture of hopelessness…hopeless of  
ever believing that his psycho friend here can ever be normal.  
  
Nephrite lets out an exasperated sigh and left the two babbling idiots to  
their own endeavors.  
  
"Hey Nephrite," Jadeite pipes behind him, "tell the stars that I want to be  
handsome and rich for my next reincarnation okay?"  
  
Nephrite growls in reply. He steps out into the hall and lets out a breath  
of relief as silence fell around him. Quietly, he drifts toward the large  
white marble doorway down the hall and reaches his hand out to open the  
large object, but he suddenly stops in midair. Wait a minute, he thinks,  
why do I need to open this door to go through? He recalls that Kunzite  
had opened the door earlier. Oh well, he is going to try something  
different. He quietly drifts through the door like the ghost he is.  
Giving a light chuckle of amusement, he thinks I have to remind Kunzite  
that he doesn't need to open doors to go through nowadays.  
  
Suddenly his smile left his face and his laughter died in his throat when  
he senses a strange and familiar force stir in him. He feels dizzy and his  
vision became blurry. W-what is…happening to me? The nameless force  
increases in strength until his entire being is at its mercy. "Aaahh," he  
screams, but his scream gets lost in the darkness of the garden around him.  
His mind feels numb as the force quickly spread through it gaining control  
of him entirely. He drops to his knees and buried his face into the soft  
warm ground. Unknown tears begin to drift down his face as images of a  
forgotten time flood his soul.  
  
[flashback]  
  
"You heard Queen Beryl's command," he bellowed, "Take no prisoners and  
destroy anything and everything that bars your way. I want this battle to  
be swift," and he paused before adding with a cruel smile dancing on his  
pale lips, "but not too swift, I want to make sure that those Moon brats  
feel the sting of our swords before they die."  
  
He observed his troops with icy emerald eyes. Finally, he thought, it is  
high time we pay those Moonlings a visit.  
  
"We are ready, General Nephrite," a young soldier informed him.  
  
"Good," he replied between clenched teeth. "Let us depart…to our victory."  
In a flash of emerald green light, his entire army and himself disappeared  
from the charred land of Earth. In the wake of his powers, the black  
dusts lifted to the dark dry wind and floated over the dead land. If  
Endymion had survived and returned to see what had befell his Kingdom,  
he would have choked with grief. Once a beautiful green realm with lush  
forests and sparkling brooks and streams, the Earth Kingdom now looked  
like a realm of the dead. The green hills were charred to dust, and the  
forests burnt to the very roots. The clear blue sky was covered with  
ominous gray clouds that loomed over the land like deadly poisonous gases.  
The mighty ocean, once the colored reflection of his eyes of a deep rich  
blue, was now dark crimson red as if the sun had truly bled onto its  
surface forever staining its beautiful face.  
  
So much has changed, so much was gone.  
  
Appearing upon the gentle hills west of the Moon Palace, he found that he  
had a welcoming committee already waiting for him. An army equal in number  
as his awaited for his appearance. They must have known we are coming,  
he thought. Perhaps these Moonlings are better than I had thought. Good.  
I was afraid this battle would be boring. Now the fun begins.  
  
"What is this?" he cried in mock distress, "A welcoming committee, but no  
host?"  
  
In answer to his question, a tall figure of a young Sailor Soldier, one of  
the eight Moon Guardians, appeared. She was an incredible sight of strength  
and beauty. The soft warm wind blew gently around them, lifting her long  
chestnut colored hair to flow and ebb like the tides of the ocean behind  
her. She stood gazing at him with challenging emerald green eyes.  
  
"Hmmm…," he hummed in mockery, his verdant eyes travelling from her face  
down her body, taking in her strong slim form. "I see that they have sent  
a hostess, instead of a host," and he gave her a cynical laughter, "how did  
you Moon weaklings guess what was on my mind?"  
  
She has had enough of his mockery. She has had enough of him. He was a  
traitor to his kingdom…and to her. At first, when she heard of him siding  
with Queen Beryl, it broke her heart. For that entire day, she cried until  
her friends feared that she would go blind with her bitter misery. She had  
strolled around the Moon Palace like a lost soul. She saw her friends  
trained hours upon hours to build up the wall of hatred that the Generals  
now faced. She knew she must do the same. And so on that night, all  
senses of emotions, which she now regarded as signs of weaknesses, were  
quickly drained from her heart. All that was left in her was the burning  
desire for revenge, revenge for the death of her Princess…and revenge for  
his betrayal.  
  
"You want me?" she hissed, "Then come and get me…if you dare, coward!"  
  
Her taunting words ignited intense green flames of hatred in his dark eyes.  
"You're going to regret you have ever called me a coward, Lightning bug!  
Dark Soldiers, ATTACK!"  
  
"Silver Army, DESTROY THEM!"  
  
The two armies charged each other. The clangs of metal against metal rang  
through the dark air mixing with the screams of agony from either side.  
  
[end flashback]  
  
"NO!" a voice screams like one of the dying soldiers of the past. The cold  
night air absorbs the sound like a sponge, allowing no one to hear his cry  
of pain…his cry of guilt.  
  
Slowly the driving force loosens it grip on him. No, he cries. If I must  
remember then let me remember it all now! Do not stop then begin then stop  
again. Why are you torturing me like this? he asks the unknown force.  
What did he do to deserve such a cruel fate as this?  
  
"HA!" He hears someone shout. "Yeah!" The hidden voice sounds again.  
  
Who is out here at a time like this? he wonders.  
  
Somehow, he manages to get up and, with unsteady feet, begins to follow the  
voice hidden in the darkness just beyond his reach. He follows the voice  
to the very edge of the beautiful rose garden. What he saw stops him dead  
in his track. The tall figure of a beautiful woman in a forest-green  
Eternal Sailor Soldier uniform held his surprise gaze. He realizes that  
she is practicing her fighting skills here in the dark garden, all alone.  
  
"Heeyaah!" She yells again giving a splendid karate kick high in the air.  
  
Magnificent, he thinks. Sailor Jupiter is far better in real life than  
from the multitudes of images and descriptions I have seen or heard of  
before.  
  
Jupiter spins around giving several powerful kicks in the process. She  
thrusts her bent arm up in front of her face in a blocking position while  
her other hand punches the unseen enemy in the abdomen. She gives several  
tornado kicks, spinning wildly in the dark garden. Her yells and heavy  
breathing are the only sounds heard in the silent air.  
  
She takes a determined step forward and about to slam her fist at the  
invisible opponent when something stops her. Suddenly, he sees her drop to  
the ground with her hands groping its green surface desperately searching  
for something. Her face darkens with distress. Finally, after several  
minutes of scrambling around on the dark earth, her hands touch something  
and wrap its fingers around the unseen object like a child holding  
desperately onto the collars of her parent. She gives a small sigh of  
relief as her face lightens up, enhancing her beauty even further. Curious  
he steps closer to her and kneels down beside her crouching form. He looks  
down at her hands. She does the same and begins to open them slowly. His  
eyes widen in surprise when he sees the object, which she was desperately  
searching for only moments before, to be a simple earring made of a  
beautiful pink gem curved in the shape of a rose.  
  
She gazes at the small object tenderly and lets out a sad sigh, which is  
quickly lost in the night breeze, but not soon enough to escape his  
attention. He looks up to gaze at her sad face. With the pale light of the  
moon to aid him, he notices a single tear trickling down her rosy cheek.  
He looks down at the rose earring she still held in her hand and wonders  
why such a small, seemingly insignificant object, can have such an  
incredible effect on a strong woman like her. Must be given to her by  
someone she loves dearly, he thinks. But I have never heard of any of the  
Sailor Soldiers as having a lover. They have always been known to be alone,  
especially since the creation of Crystal Tokyo. They seemed to have  
distanced themselves from other people even further, with the only exception  
being each other. He looks back up at her face again. His gaze takes in  
her verdant eyes and lush pink lips. She looks familiar, he thinks, and  
so beautiful.  
  
He raises his hand and gently caresses her face. At his touch, she feels a  
strange jolt of energy zap through her. Her head jerks up and turns to look  
directly into his eyes, but of course she does not see him. Her brows knit  
together in slight confusion. He gazes back at her. He sees through the  
strong barrier she places around her, through the mask she wears and into  
her soul. He sees the sorrow and loneliness that she hides deep within,  
but he also notices something else. He sees a strange soft light hidden in  
the depth of her heart. A light, which he realizes, is dying, but of which  
she desperately tries to keep alive. He frowns in frustration.  
This light, he thinks, what is it? And why is she trying to retain this  
small light? Why is this small thing so important to her?  
  
Suddenly, he feels a strange pain rip through him and he doubles over in  
agony. It is that strange force again. It has returned for him once more.  
He tries to cry out for help…for her help, but nothing escapes his mouth.  
Besides, she cannot hear him anyway. Might as well get this over with,  
he manages to think. I sure don't want to drag her into this with me.  
  
"Please," he pleads through clenched teeth, "finish it. Don't prolong this  
agony, I beg you. I can't stand this pain…this guilt…anymore."  
  
[flashback]  
  
Among the fighting bodies of soldiers, she desperately searches for him.  
Her cold green eyes swept the bloody scene before her without as much as a  
flinch of emotion.  
  
"Looking for me," a cold voice whispered behind her.  
  
Her eyes widen in surprise as she quickly turns around to face her attacker,  
but she was too late. She could feel the cold edge of his blade slice  
through her arm sending incredible pain throughout her body. She cried out  
in agony and fell to her knees.  
  
Slowly, as the pain died down, she notices a pair of black leather clad  
legs standing before her. She lifts her icy gaze to look at his mocking  
face. "Tsk, tsk," he clucked, "I was hoping for a better fight then this,  
Sailor Jupiter. You disappoint me by being such an easy prey."  
  
Her eyes narrowed to mere green slits as she looked up at him through soft  
thick lashes. Suddenly, she launched a hand out and grabbed his in a tight  
fist. He looked at her a bit surprised by her action. He could feel  
something in his hand, but he could not free it from her grip to see the  
objects. He looked at her face with confusion shining brightly in his  
emerald eyes. She gazed back, the painful look on her face completely gone.  
She looked utterly calm. Her eyes reflected a strange light that shines  
brightly in the depth of her heart. His look of confusion increased with  
every moment he gazed into the depths her verdant gaze. "Why are you  
looking at me like that?" he asked her. She did not respond.  
  
Suddenly a bright green sigil shines on her forehead revealing the symbol  
of Jupiter. Her power increased with intensity until it enveloped them  
both. As soft as the silky petals of a rose, her voice drifts up to him,  
"Goodbye, my love." And her power increased even further. A bright  
explosion was the last he would see and her lovely gaze before darkness  
claimed his eyesight.  
  
Their bodies fell heavily down onto the ground with a loud thud. The  
impact of their bodies on the ground broke the grip she had on his hand  
and the unknown objects flew out to land between them. The dying light  
of the sun catches on these small items causing them to shine brilliantly  
with the lovely pink color of a rose in which they were shaped.  
  
[end flashback]  
  
Slowly, the numbness in his mind eases as the unknown force releases him  
from its grip. He breathes heavily into the ground. He raises his gaze  
in the hopes to find her still sitting there beside him, but she is gone.  
She must have left immediately after he slipped into a trance. So it is  
she, he thinks. It is she whom I have fought against toward the end of  
the Silver Millenium. He pauses for a moment to analyze his emotions  
carefully. No, there is no mistaking it. His past is now so clear to  
him…and so is his heart.  
  
"You are my other half," he whispers to her, hoping that the night wind  
will carry his words to her ears wherever she may be, "You are the one I  
love."  
  
============================================  
[Please email me and tell me what you think of this story so far...  
Next part of chapter 3 coming soon!]  
  
1999, Cosmos.  



	4. Love thy Enemy...Part 2: Waiting for Yo...

Hello! This story is about the Generals and it  
is related to the Manga, taking place not long after the  
Dark Moon Kingdom.  
  
This story is rated PG (Nothing serious, so don't worry) ^_~  
  
Oh yeah, PLEASE email me and tell me what you think of my story.  
Critiques, compliments, suggestions, questions, anything would be fine.  
MY EMAIL INBOX! No it's fading away! Emails, it needs emails! (^_~)  
  
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness  
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made  
possible by DiC.  
  
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com  
  
= thoughts  
[ ] = author's note  
  
All right, on with the show!  
  
============================================================================  
GEMSTONE'S OATH   
========================= By Cosmos ==================================  
  
Chapter 3: Love thy Enemy  
  
Part 2: Waiting for You  
  
  
  
"Sshh, listen," Zoisite suddenly interrupts Jadeite.  
  
"Listen to what?" Jadeite asks with a raised eyebrow. "I can't hear  
anything."  
  
"Well, if you would just shut your trap then maybe you can hear the music."  
  
Jadeite frowns with annoyance and keeps quiet. Straining his ears hard he  
tries to catch the sounds that Zoisite told him he just heard. Humph,  
he thinks, I can't hear anything. Maybe lamebrain here is just going wacko  
on me. Giving an irritated glance over to Zoisite he sees his friend  
with eyes closed listening intently to sounds, it appears, only he can  
hear. A small sad smile seems to dance at the corner of his mouth.  
  
"I still can't hear anything," Jadeite announces to his bewitched friend.  
Zoisite does not reply.  
  
Curious, he asks, "What is it that you *think* you are hearing?"  
  
"Music," Zoisite whispers in reverie, "The gentle sounds of a lovely lyre  
being played."  
  
"Lyre?" Now this is interesting, Jadeite mused, he actually imagines an  
instrument to go along with his invisible musical notes. "Ummm…Zoisite…I  
think you've gazed at the moon a little bit too long tonight. Maybe you  
should get some rest."  
  
Zoisite's eyes snap open as he exclaims, "What the hell are you talking  
about? Can't you hear the music of the lyre?"  
  
His friend shakes his head. He frowns in confusion. Strange, he  
thinks, I swear the sound is quite loud, loud enough for him to hear it,  
and yet he doesn't. Am I the only one to hear it?  
  
"Hey, Zois, you okay there?"  
  
Zoisite brakes from his thought and quickly replies, "Y-yeah. Yeah I'm  
fine. Are you *sure* you didn't listen hard enough, Jadeite?"  
  
"Yeah! If I listen any harder, my eardrums will soon be drumming," he  
responds, then quickly adds, "Hey, where are you going?" when he sees his  
friend making for the door.  
  
"I'm going to find out who is playing that music," Zoisite replies without  
glancing back.  
  
"He's lost it," Jadeite says to himself once Zoisite disappears around a  
corner.  
  
"Hey, I heard that!" His friend's yell races back to him.  
  
The music continues to lure Zoisite down the dark hallway. The pale  
moonlight filters through grand windows draped with fine silk curtains  
creating faint beams of light across the hall like cascades of water down  
a ravine. Like the capes of lost souls, the silver draperies dance in the  
vast hallway as if it too can hear the gentle voice of that mysterious  
lyre. Through the darkness lit only by the pale light of the silvery moon,  
he catches the colors of blue and gold swirls on the dark marble floor.  
  
Slowly, he drifts down the hall allowing the soft humming of the music to  
direct him towards its hidden player. Suddenly, barely escaping his  
attention, the music changes from soft luring notes to mournful sounds that  
reflect the forlorn surroundings of a place that he now finds himself  
trapped in. "W-where am I?" he manages to whisper before his mind wholly  
succumbs to the unknown force now invading it.  
  
[flashback]  
  
She was waiting for him. He knew that somehow, but he wasn't sure. Once  
he departed for the Moon Kingdom, a strange feeling kept nagging at the  
back of his mind. When his feet touched the hard cold surface of the  
glaciers that covered the northern region of the Moon, he instinctively  
knew that she was waiting for him.  
  
His dark blue eyes scanned the vast white sheets of the glacier,  
looking…searching…for her. She was out there. She was waiting. His brows  
knitted in frustration as he wondered, Where can she be? How could she  
possibly hide from me in a barren place like this? Indeed, the vast land  
consisted only of a blanket of pure white with bluish crystals of ice  
rising here and there. No bushes. No forests. Not even grass could grow  
in this incredible desert of ice and snow. A thin mist drifted into the  
land covering the open area in a sheet of ashen-white, obscuring a shadow  
that stood only a short distance away from him, just barely beyond his  
piercing gaze.  
  
Calm. Serene. It was incredible how placid she was from her mind…to her  
soul…to her heart. Control. It was the very objective she had been  
striving for in the past twenty-four hours. Finally, enduring the pain in  
her heart and through the tears that blinded her, she has finally reached  
this objective…control. Now, standing before him, she feels at one with  
the cold desolate environment…an environment that gave birth to her…that  
harbored her true strength, her true power…the power of a merciless  
winter…the power of ice.  
  
She could feel the true strength of her nature fuse with the dismal world  
surrounding her. The coldness of the frozen land seeped into her soul and  
captured her heart. A sense of sudden serenity overwhelmed her as clear as  
the crystallized water beneath her feet. She waved a hand aside commanding  
the mist to retreat. It did, revealing to him a large battalion on par  
with his. His emotionless gaze took in the silver armors of the Moon  
soldiers with their crystal swords blazing before them, but what held his  
attention was the prominent figure standing defiantly in front of him.  
Her ice blue uniform was a sharp contrast to the silver background. It was  
unmistakable who she was…a Sailor Guardian of the Moon. His eyes widened  
in surprise at her stealth, at how well she managed to sneak up on him  
without him knowing. He smiled in mock amusement. He had underestimated  
this young soldier in blue.  
  
She focused her eyes, a reflection of the ruthless environment around  
her-and of one that has been betrayed-on the one whom have betrayed her.  
Unflinching, he returned her coldness with his own hard challenging blue  
storms. The tension rose in the atmosphere cracking and snapping under  
the strenuous weight of the hatred between these two. How ironic that a  
battle between two frozen hearts should take place in a land imprisoned in  
ice.  
  
No words were spoken. No mocking laughter was exchanged. They were both  
here for one reason and one reason only…the spilled blood of the other.  
  
[end flashback]  
  
"STOP!" He screams as tears flow down his pale cheeks in an unrelenting  
river of sorrow mingled with guilt. "Please stop," he pleads to the dark  
hall, "I can't take this. I just can't…I don't want to see anymore. I  
know I've done horrible things, but it wasn't my fault. So *stop*  
torturing me!" An indescribable feeling of sorrow invades his soul,  
tearing it to pieces. He clutches at his chest as if attempting to rip  
out his heart in order to stop the emotional turmoil that is raging within  
it.  
  
During his struggle against his soul, the faint sound of the mysterious  
music drifts into his ears once again. The gentle caresses of the sound  
soothe his delirious mind and stop his rain of tears. His heartbeat slows  
to a rhythmic pulsing in sync with the faint notes of the lyre being played  
by unseen fingers. Strangely he feels a sense of determination to seek out  
the player of this instrument…the creator of this music that has so  
entranced him.  
  
He struggles to his feet and begins to stumble off into the darkness  
allowing his heart to lead him toward the source of this sound. Like the  
lovely voices of the Sirens, this music lures him to an unseen destiny and  
an unknown fate. Whether it be death or life, he does not care. To  
everyone around him, he is already dead, both in body and in spirit.  
There is nothing else for him to fear, or is there? His mind struggles to  
find the answer to that. Is there something out there waiting for him…or  
someone? There is that strange force, his mind told him, and the past.  
But the past can't harm him…can it?  
  
He sees a soft yellow light of a desk lamp cross his path as it floated out  
through a small opening in a beautiful oak doorway. The music is from this  
room. He hesitates for a moment as his mind screams to him of the possible  
danger of this investigation, but he simply shakes his head and steps  
through. He has to find this person.  
  
The beautiful room opened before him like a book. A luxurious bed of pale  
blue satin and silk stood at one corner close to a grand balcony on the  
other side of the room. Thin silk curtains cascade down from the bed's  
roof-like fixtures to cover the object like a beautiful tent woven with  
crystal beads of water. Through the opening facing him, he notices that  
the gentle undulations of the fabric on the bed create the illusion of soft  
waves on the surface of a beautiful lake. The faint light of a crystal  
lamp nearby along with the blueness of the room provides a strange  
peacefulness to the overall atmosphere that greatly effects him. He has  
never before felt so at ease and so relax.  
  
However, his attention is quickly caught again by the music that floats to  
him ever louder from the balcony on the other side. He slowly drifts  
toward the large frame draped with beige colored curtains leading to the  
balcony. The curtains float into the room like gentle arms motioning him  
to follow. As he strides toward the music, he chances to glance through  
another room to his right. To his amazement, he sees shelves upon shelves  
filled to the brink with books of various kinds, sizes, and ages. The bold  
color of the red oak shelves enhances the soft brown leather bindings of  
the books giving the room a most elegant appearance. At the center of this  
place stood four cinnamon colored velvet seats surrounding a marvelous  
mahogany table upon which a handcrafted vase of a strange crystal blue is  
placed. The beautiful bright color of the iris flower within the vase  
stands sharply against the darker color of the wood dominated room.  
  
A soft sigh suddenly invades his mind quickly jerking his attention back to  
the balcony. He steps through the curtained doorway and his eyes befell  
unto a sight that makes him intake a sharp breath. There, before him on  
that milky white balcony sits a lovely woman dressed in an azure satin  
nightgown with a v-shaped neck and two thin straps on her shoulders,  
allowing the pale moonlight to fall across her bare shoulders highlighting  
her velvety skin. The dark sky with its multitudes of stars surrounds her  
on all sides completing the ethereal picture that now enthralls him.  
  
Her eyes are closed as her delicate fingers move effortlessly through the  
silver strings of a small lyre she holds in her hand. So this is the  
player of this lyre, he thinks. The strange material of which this  
peculiar lyre is constructed appears to glow with a mysterious icy blue  
light casting a bluish shadow onto her lovely face. Under the light, she  
looks so sad. His heart becomes restless as he gazes at her beautiful  
face with its lush lips and long thick lashes gracing her rosy cheeks.  
Completely unaware of his spirit watching her, she continues to play her  
sad song. The song slowly weaves its enchantment around his heart  
covering it with warmth he has never before known. So familiar, he  
thinks. I…have heard…this song before,…but where?  
  
As if to answer his question, the silent force awakens from within him  
again. Its cold fingers begin to probe his mind and he feels himself drift  
back to the unknown once more. No, he thinks, no! Not now! I do not  
want to leave her. I want to stay here and continue listening to this  
lovely song she plays. Please, let me stay just a little longer. Hold  
back the pain just a little longer. But the force is unsympathetic. It  
does not know the emotional turmoil that it causes in these men by doing  
what it has been ordered to do. Thus, his plea goes unheard. I wonder  
what she calls this song she plays, his mind thinks as the vision of the  
lovely woman slowly blurs from view and is replaced by another woman, much  
younger, who was also playing a lyre, but the song she plays is far  
different.  
  
[flashback]  
  
Suddenly he notices a swirl of ice and snow forming between her fingers.  
He narrowed his eyes and his body grew tense preparing for her attack, but  
to his surprise she did not. Instead, a small delicate object of ice  
crystals forms before his eyes. Her subtle fingers wrapped itself around  
the object, which he realized was a lyre made entirely of ice and snow.  
He lifted his gaze up to her emotionless face raising an eyebrow in  
questioning.  
  
A mocking smile plays on her small pink lips, while her cold eyes never  
left his face. Her fingers slowly plucked the white strings of her lyre,  
playing a forlorn sound that seemed to reverberate throughout the desolate  
land like a lost echo in the expanse of space. With each note, her lyre  
begins to glow in increased power and upon the last sound a large  
unexpected blast of ice was released hitting him dead center, sending him  
a few feet from his former position. Her attack signaled the beginning of  
the battle.  
  
He grabbed his chest in pain as his dark eyes pierced her frigid form a  
distance before him. Without a sound, like the shadow he has become, he  
raced toward her releasing a great blast of dark energy at her. She  
easily dodged it and created a fog to hide herself but he could only be  
fooled once. While she looked for him in the fog, she suddenly felt cold  
fingers wrap themselves around her delicate throat with great strength and  
ferocity. He yanked her up to his eye level leaving her feet dangling  
several inches above the Earth's surface. Pain ripped through her as her  
air was quickly cut off. Her hands instinctively came up to clutch his in  
her desperate attempt to free herself, but he was too strong.  
  
He gazed into her eyes expecting the hatred he saw in them only moments  
before, but to his amazement the hatred was completely gone. Instead he  
found himself staring into the most beautiful bright azure eyes he has  
ever seen. Soft glistening tears formed at the corner of her eyes adding  
to its sad beauty. He was taken aback by this sudden change in her. His  
grip around her neck loosened and she took in a sharp breath to ease her  
burning lungs.  
  
Quietly, almost like a whisper from the icy wind, he demanded, "What is the  
name of that strange song you've just played?"  
  
Unexpected, she smiled at him with all the warmth that she hid deep within  
her heart. His eyes widen in surprise. "It is called," she whispered back  
to him, her voice as sweet and as sad as the music she played. Her  
forehead begins to glow with a strange blue light. He looked up in  
amazement when he saw the sigil of Mercury shining brightly on her  
forehead. "It is called…" her voice captured his attention once more,  
"Mercury's Rhapsody." And that was the last thing he heard before she  
released her full power sending them both into the eternal sleep of death.  
  
[end flashback]  
  
"Mercury's Rhapsody," her soft voice echoes in his mind. "What is the  
name of the strange song you've just played? It is called…Mercury's  
Rhapsody." The scene between them keeps replaying in his mind, "What  
is the name of the strange song you've just played? It is  
called…Mercury's Rhapsody."  
  
"STOP!" he screams into the darkness. Grabbing his head, he cries,  
"Please stop! I-I can't take this anymore! I would rather face Beryl  
then endure this kind of agony. Who is so cruel as to torture me like  
this? Of all the pains that could be brought unto me, the truth from my  
past creates the deepest wounds…wounds that will never heal." Through a  
vision blurred both with tears and renewed passion, he looks at her still  
playing on the small lyre the very same song she played over two thousand  
years ago, but the tone of this song is not cold and hateful, only sad and  
forlorn.  
  
Deep within his mind, he hears a familiar exchange of words:  
  
"Promise me that you will return," she asked  
"I promise," he whispered.  
  
He realizes as he watches her delicate fingers move over the thin silver  
strings, as tears escape her closed eyes that she is still waiting for  
him…after all this time. She is still waiting.  
  
  
  
"Great," he mumbles under his breath, "I've been ditched." Giving a tired  
sigh, he stands up and strolls toward the door. "I might as well take a  
walk instead of sitting around here waiting for my friends, one of which  
thought he heard music being played." Clicking his tongue and shaking his  
head he whispers, "Pitiful."  
  
The silent hall greets him like a long lost friend. He turns and begins  
to stroll down another hall much more different than the one his friends  
have taken previously. His light turquoise gaze barely makes out the  
faint images on the walls hidden in shadows. He drifts down the hall  
slowly, his gaze never leaving the beautiful portraits of a time long  
forgotten.  
  
Pegasus and holy grails. Stone swords and black roses. Such eerie yet  
unbelievably beautiful pictures depict a time that he does not know…cannot  
remember. He is enraptured by the strange tales that these images weave  
around him. Suddenly, he sees soldiers with silver uniforms brandishing  
blazing crystal swords locked in an eternal conflict on an ancient  
battlefield. He stops in this track. There is something familiar about  
this picture. A strange force seems to tug at his mind demanding him to  
remember, but he cannot. His turquoise eyes skim over the large portrait  
and come to rest on a particular soldier standing in front of the silver  
army. Her long raven colored hair swirls around her in an invisible wind  
while her raging violet eyes gaze at the battle before her. He is  
awestruck by her beautiful features that are both delicate and strong.  
Her fiery red outfit appears like a blazing inferno finely etched against  
the backdrop of silver and black. Whoever this artist was, he thinks,  
has truly painted a magnificent masterpiece when he painted her.  
He seemed to have caught the very light and life of her spirited soul and  
trapped it into this incredible mural. He stands there for a long time  
entrance by the image of this Goddess of War.  
  
Abruptly, he doubles over in pain. His mind is reeling with images and  
his ears are pounding with roars and cries of the past. His brows furrow  
in confusion as perspiration cloaks his pale face. "W-what is happening?"  
he manages to whisper before his mind goes numb and he is sent back to a  
battle that raged over two milleniums ago.  
  
[flashback]  
  
It was an ambush. How the world did those Moonlings know that I'll be  
attacking them here? his mind growled with frustration. He looked around  
him. His Mediterranean blue eyes saw fire. Bright burning infernos  
surrounded his army on all sides, trapping them within a wall of fire like  
rats.  
  
"Damnit!" he growled, "They will not defeat me that easily." He closed his  
dark eyes and began to concentrate his powers into his hands. A large ball  
of blazing dark energy gradually appears increasing with incredible  
intensity. He quickly opened his eyes and released his attack. The  
swiftness of his power being released created a whirlwind of dark air that  
killed the flames within minutes.  
  
As the smoke cleared, he could see through the slight haze a tall figure  
barring his path. Her violet eyes burned with incredible hatred like two  
small beacons in the dark, while small red flames danced around her  
clenched fists. She gave him a mocking laughter and spoke in a low icy  
tone, "Did you enjoy the fireworks?"  
  
He growled a reply at her as he released a blast of energy straight for  
her. She easily dodged it and disappeared behind the tall dark trunks of  
the trees. He quickly left his fighting men to finish the battle while he  
went out to seek a dancing flame that he was determined to put out.  
  
[end flashback]  
  
"Huh!" he gasps as he gradually awakens from the enchantment. His eyes  
quickly glance back at the figure and immediately he recognizes her as the  
same girl he just saw in his brief glimpse of the past. "Sailor Mars," he  
whispers.  
  
"Yeah?" a voice drifts to him, "who's there?"  
  
The voice jerks his attention to the white oak door at the end of the  
mysterious hall. W-what? he thinks.  
  
Slowly, he drifts toward the door but is stopped abruptly by a lovely face  
appearing through the opened frame. He is met with spirited violet eyes  
that shines like the stars. He takes in a sharp breath, surprised by her  
sudden appearance.  
  
"Yeah?" she calls again, "Hey, who the hell called for me?"  
  
No one replies. "Venus, was that you?"  
  
"What?" another voice sounds far down the hall.  
  
"Did you just call my name?" she yells with annoyance.  
  
"Why would I call you? I just talked to you."  
  
"That's strange," she mumbles under her breath, "I thought I heard someone  
call me."  
  
"Hey Mars, you okay?" her friend asks her.  
  
"Yeah, yeah!" she replies quickly.  
  
"You want to talk to me about something?" Venus' voice drifts through the  
darkness toward her.  
  
"No!" she exclaims, "Never mind, just go back to bed."  
  
"Alright, but don't stay up too late okay Mars? Goodnight then."  
  
"Goodnight!" and she retreats back into her room. He follows her.  
  
W-where did she go? he suddenly asks himself when he noticed that she is  
not in the room. He glances around and finds another door leading to  
another room, which he assumed must be her bedroom.  
  
A magnificent sight meets his bewildered gaze. The dancing light of the  
burning flames within a grand crystal fireplace creates a strange, but  
cozy atmosphere in this lovely room. He notices a velvet vermilion colored  
sofa and loveseat placed around the burning fire place with a small red oak  
coffee table between. A splendid vase made from an unknown crystal stood  
at the center of the oak table with the beautiful blossoms of snow-white  
Casablancas spilling over its round mouth. Another table with short  
sturdy legs made of dark blue marble and a top made of mahogany stood at  
the far end of the room close to a balcony. His observant eyes catch the  
smooth surface of a package of tan colored paper with a beautiful silver  
pen placed diagonally across its flat surface. He can barely make out  
small letters and symbols written across the surface of the paper.  
Curious about the writing, he quietly drifts over to the low table and  
kneels down to look. To his surprise it is a poem written in lovely  
calligraphy by her very own hands:  
  
  
Yes, I will be thy priest, and build a fane  
In some untrodden region of my mind,  
Where branched thoughts, new growth with pleasant pain,  
Far, far around shall those dark-cluster'd trees  
Fledge the wild-ridged mountains steep by steep;  
And there by zephyrs [winds], streams, and birds, and bees,  
The moss-lain Dryads [sprites] shall be lull'd to sleep;  
And in the midst of this wide quietness  
A rosy sanctuary will I dress  
With the wreath'd trellis of a working brain,  
With buds, and bells, and stars without a name,  
Who breeding flowers, will never breed the same:  
And there shall be for thee all soft delight  
That shadowy thought can win,  
A bright torch, and a casement ope at night,  
To let the warm Love in! *  
  
Beautiful, he thinks, I never knew that Sailor Mars could write poetry.  
What an amazing… but his thoughts are quickly interrupted when he hears  
her bedroom door open.  
  
Mars steps out dressed in her priestess outfit with graceful satin pants  
and a white silk shirt. Her hair drifts around her slender form like a  
dark cloak. She strolls silently toward a small rug she laid earlier in  
front of the sacred fire. She closes her eyes and simply sat there in  
deep meditation. Her dark hair surrounds her like the petals of her  
flowers. The soft warm light of the fire illuminates her beautiful  
features with its thick dark lashes and lush lips. The gentle night breeze  
floats in through the balcony and plays with the dark locks in front of  
her closed eyes.  
  
She is so beautiful, he thinks. Then his eyes darken with feelings of  
guilt. He knows, from what he was told, that he had fought against her in  
Tokyo under Beryl's spell. He wishes that he could have gotten to know her  
better instead of fighting against her. He wishes that they were not  
enemies. But you are not enemies now, his mind whispers to him. He  
shakes his head dejectedly, No, he thinks, it is too late now. He is  
nothing but a mere shadow to her. It is too late.  
  
He continues to gaze at her longingly. His hands ache to caress her soft  
skin and silky long hair. "Sailor Mars," he whispers to her, "I wish we  
can be together."  
  
Suddenly her eyes flew open. She turns around and stares directly into  
his. He notices the shock, and fear, reflecting in her lively violet  
eyes. "W-who's there?" she cries out to the shadows.  
  
What? he cries, she can hear me? B-but that is…impossible! I am only a  
ghost, how the…  
  
"Who is there?" she questions the air around her, "Who are you?"  
  
He does not reply, confusion and hesitation rising into his eyes.  
  
"I know I heard someone say something," she mumbles to herself as she  
pulls out a scroll of paper. "Whoever is out there show yourself or  
else?" she warns, her violet eyes flashing dangerously. "And," she adds,  
"if you're a ghost, then be gone!" and pulls a strip of the paper from the  
scroll powering up for her attack.  
  
"No wait!" he cries out in shock.  
  
"Who *is* this?" she whispers in a suspicious tone, "Who just said that?"  
  
"Mars," he whispers to her again.  
  
"Who's there?" her voice is now high and frightened.  
  
"Please, calm down," he soothes her, "I won't hurt you, not that I can  
anyway."  
  
"Who is this 'I'?"  
  
"Umm…you won't believe me but….uhh well…" he hesitates.  
  
"Spill it!" she orders, "I don't have all night!"  
  
He smiles at her. Her spirit is so much like his own, fiery and  
mischievous.  
  
"I am…," he hesitates briefly, "…Jadeite."  
  
Her eyes widen in shock. Her mouth falls open in disbelief.  
"Y-you…you are…you're Jadeite?"  
  
"Yup!" he confirms.  
  
"Then how come," she asks, "I can't see you?"  
  
"I'm a ghost," he says matter-of-factly, "Apparently you've killed me  
about a thousand years ago, or don't you remember?"  
  
"How?" she stutters, "Why are you here now? When did you return?" Turning  
to face the fire, she cries out, her voice full of confusion and slight  
distress, "What the *hell* is going on here?" Whether she directed the  
question to him or the fire, he is not sure.  
  
"Didn't Endymion tell you?" he asks.  
  
"Tell me what?"  
  
"Apparently not," he says, "I…all the generals have been reincarnated as  
gemstones, where we continue to guard our Prince, now King."  
  
"So you're saying you've be born as gemstones?"  
  
"If you please, I'd prefer the word reincarnation, not born," he says a  
little irritated, "I did not start out as a stone you know."  
  
"Uh huh," she says. "So what were you…"  
  
But a cry of pain interrupts her in mid-sentence. "Jadeite?!" she cries,  
"what's happening? Are you hurt? Come on, say something!" Her voice rings  
with distress and apparent concern for her former enemy.  
  
Why does she care? he wonders, Was I not her enemy? Why does she  
sound so concerned for me?  
  
"Aaaahhh!" he screams out in pain as his mind grows numb and his heart  
grows colder.  
  
"Oh God! Jadeite!" Mars yells, waving her hands wildly in the air in the  
direction of the sound, hoping that she may be able to feel him. "Hang on  
Jadeite! I'll get help!" She quickly scrambles to her feet, but before she  
could even stand she hears him cry out.  
  
"NO!" he cries, "Mars *please* don't leave me alone! Please…," he pleads.  
"I don't want to go through this alone, not again."  
  
"Through what?! What is happening to you?"  
  
"Just…" he cries in desperation, "stay with me! Please."  
  
"I-I-I'll stay," tears of pain rises in her violet eyes.  
  
He looks at her with great confusion as he struggles against the dark force  
that is striving to take over his mind and soul. She is actually staying  
her with me, he thinks. She is actually shedding tears for me…but why?  
  
"Jadeite please hang on," she pleads to him, "whatever it is, fight it! I  
know you can do it! Just stay with me, don't leave me…please…"  
  
"W-w-why do you…care?" he manages to ask her.  
  
"B-because," she whispers, her throat tight with the pain in her raging  
heart, "B-because I…I love you."  
  
His eyes widen in surprise. What?! Yet before he has the chance to ask  
any further strange images flood his mind and he looses his grasp on the  
real world and enters a nightmare he wishes would end.  
  
[flashback]  
  
His raging turquoise eyes searched desperately for the red outline of her  
uniform. She is somewhere around her, he thinks, I know she is  
hiding behind one of these damn trees! Suddenly, almost answering his  
thoughts, a bright ball of fire flashes toward him. He jumps out of the  
way narrowly escaping its burning path. His eyes quickly dart toward the  
source and he saw her bright uniform swiftly retreating into the depth of  
the forest.  
  
"You can run," he yelled at her, "but you can't hide! I'll find you  
wherever you are little firefly!" And he added in a whisper, "And when I  
do, I will extinguish your pesky little flame!"  
  
"Who's hiding numbskull!"  
  
"Wha-"  
  
He feels a sharp stab of pain shoot up through his sides as he whirls  
around to grab a handful of dark silky hair. He pulled her face close to  
his as his grip tightened painfully. His raging sea-green eyes stared  
deep into her challenging violet gems of fire. Without letting her go, he  
gives a quick glance down at his side and found that half of his lower body  
was burnt by her surprise attack.  
  
He gave her a cynical laughter and whispered in her ears, "Nice try firefly,  
but now you will die!"  
  
"W-well, aren't we a little poet here," she managed to whisper in a mocking  
tone between her clenched teeth. "If I die, then I will take you with me."  
  
"Really? I don't think so. You have used all of your strength in our  
little game of cat and mouse."  
  
"Not all of my strength," she whispered in a deadly tone. She grabbed both  
of his shoulders in a tight grip and pulled his face even closer to hers  
as the symbol of Mars appeared on her forehead. "You of all people should  
know that…" and to his surprise, she kissed him passionately. Her lips  
felt warm…so very warm…extremely warm…in fact it was burning! Suddenly he  
felt her power enveloped them both in a blazing ball of fire. All he could  
see was the inferno that now surrounded them both. All he could feel was  
the intense heat burning his flesh…And all he could sense was the  
overwhelming peace sheltering his dark soul by her tender kiss. But as  
soon as her powers were released, it was gone…and gone with it was her  
love. Now he could only sense the utter darkness of despair and loneliness  
brought on by death.  
  
[end flashback]  
  
As sudden as the images came, it is now gone; but the emotional turmoil it  
created in its wake deep within his empty soul still remains…and it shall  
always remain with him, he knows. Not only was his past revealed to him  
in that minute moment in time, but his heart was shown to him as well.  
Now, as clear as the crystal tears in her violet eyes, he knows what he  
must do…what he should do…what he needs to do. He must fulfill the promise  
he had made to her more than two thousand years ago. He must seek a way to  
return to her and hold her as his heart desires him to do.  
  
"But how?" he whispers to himself.  
  
"Jadeite?" her small voice close beside him makes him suddenly aware of her  
presence. She is still here just as he had asked; she did not left him  
alone.  
  
"Jadeite?" she calls his name again, her eyes looking wildly at the vacant  
air in front of her. "Jadeite, are you all right? Please answer me! Say  
something!"  
  
"I-I'm fine," he whispers. He lets his tired gaze fall upon her lovely  
tear stained face. The small violet flames deep within her eyes reminds  
him of her strong fiery nature, a unique trait he had fallen in love with  
so long ago. He realizes as he gaze into her concern face that it was not  
her beauty he loved; it was not her powers or her status as a Moon Guardian  
that intrigued him. It never was, nor is it now. He loves her for her  
kind nature, her undying loyalty and trust. He loves her for her fiery  
spirit, a beautiful flame that will never die. And it is that flame that  
warms his now cold and empty soul.  
  
"Jadeite what is going on here?" she asks the empty air. A tone of command  
rings in her voice. "Jadeite?" she asks, slightly irritated by his  
silence, and with hidden concern for his well being. "Will you tell me  
what is going on? You can trust me. I…I know we…we're not friends," and  
here she gives a slight pause, "but you can trust me, Jadeite. Let me  
help you."  
  
Her slight pause did not go unnoticed. He realizes that she may probably  
think that he is still the evil commander of Beryl, not the Jadeite she  
once knew and loved. This realization quickly dampens his spirit and  
cracks his newly mended heart. No, he thinks, things can never be what  
it once was. What was lost is now gone forever.  
  
He stood up and begins to drift toward the door. "It is nothing," he says  
in an emotionless voice, his back towards her.  
  
"But…"  
  
"No Sailor Mars, there is nothing…nothing you can do. Goodbye…," he  
quickly interrupts her and once outside he adds, "…my love."  
  
"JAADDEEEIIITTTE!" he could hear her scream his name as she stumbles to  
her feet, scrambling for the door. He could not stand her heart-wrenching  
cry anymore; he quickly drifts away back toward his room. It is better  
this way, he thinks as tears rain down his face. Though he may have  
forgotten how to love, surprisingly, he never forgot how to cry. And cry  
he does as the world around him crumbles to dust. I must let her go,  
he thinks she must go on with her life. I-I-I can't be with her…I'M  
DEAD, for heaven's sake! I'm nothing to her but a mere shadow, a voice  
without a body…without a beating heart. But…but I love her so much…too  
much to let her be hurt again. No…it is better this way, better that she  
forgets me.  
  
Yet he does not know that she will never forget him, or the promise he had  
given to her so long ago. And another power will also not let him forget  
that promise, either. A promise made is a promise kept.  
============================================  
[* That little poem of Mars is called Ode to Psyche written by  
a famous poet named John Keats.  
  
Thanks to all those who have emailed to me about this story! I reallly  
appreciate your wonderful comments! Keep the emails comin'! ^_^  
Chapter 4 is coming!]  
  
  
1999, Cosmos.  



	5. Shadows from the Past

Hello! This story is about the Generals and it  
is related to the Manga, taking place not long after the  
Dark Moon Kingdom.  
  
This story is rated PG (Nothing serious, so don't worry) ^_~  
  
Everyone please email me, I really would like some input on this story.  
  
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness  
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made  
possible by DiC.  
  
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com  
  
= thoughts  
[ ] = author's note  
  
All right, on with the show!  
  
============================================================================  
GEMSTONE'S OATH   
========================= By Cosmos ==================================  
  
Chapter 4: Shadows from the Past  
  
Somehow through the darkness and the blinding shades of tears, he manages to  
reach his room. Once inside, he collapses to his knees and lets out all the  
pain that was buried deep within his heart for over two milleniums. So much  
pain and sorrow…how could one have a past that is filled with so much pain?  
No one but him, it seems.  
  
"Jadeite?" a voice whispers to him. He looks up to find a concern pair of  
gray-blue eyes staring down at him.  
  
"Kunzite?" he asks in surprise, "W-what are you doing here? I thought you're  
still wondering somewhere around the Palace."  
  
"I've had enough of the wondering, so I've decided to return, but I found  
that you all have a bad case of itching feet yourselves," he replies with a  
forced smile.  
  
"I wish I hadn't gone off, else I would not have met her," he lets his voice  
drop off to an inaudible whisper.  
  
"Met who?"  
  
"Nothing," Jadeite mumbles.  
  
"Jadeite! Met who? Who did you run into and what had happened to you out  
there." With Jadeite's continued silence, Kunzite adds, "Tell me Jadeite,  
you know you can trust me."  
  
"I know," Jadeite sighs, "it's not that."  
  
"Then what? What are you trying to hold back?"  
  
"I-I ran into Sailor Mars and something happened bringing back floods of  
memories of the Silver Millenium and-"  
  
"And you remembered," Kunzite interrupts him, "the outcome of the final  
battles."  
  
"What? How did you know?"  
  
"It had happened to me too, just after I left you guys."  
  
"Kunzite what-"  
  
"Kunzite! Jadeite!" a blast of voices interrupts him again.  
  
"Nephrite! Zoisite, what happened? It looks like you've both seen a ghost!"  
Jadeite cries in astonishment at their wide-eyed faces.  
  
"More like their pasts," Kunzite responds calmly.  
  
"You know too?" they both ask him. He nods solemnly in reply.  
  
"Kunzite, what is going on here?" Nephrite asks him, "Why is this happening  
to us? Why must we be forced to relive our pasts again?"  
  
Kunzite does not respond immediately. He stands there by the window, his  
brows knit together in deep concentration. Suddenly he hears her mournful  
voice in his mind once again, This is one promise I fear you won't be  
able to keep, my beloved. Could it be? he wonders, could this be the  
power of the oath? The promises we made…could this be why these things are  
happening now?  
  
"Did any of you happened to make any promises to any of the Sailor Soldiers  
on the Moon Kingdom?" he suddenly asks them.  
  
"Yes," they all replied simultaneously.  
  
"I thought so."  
  
"Are you implying that whatever is happening is because of our oath's? "  
Zoisite asks.  
  
"I don't know," Kunzite says slowly, "but whatever it is, I don't like it."  
  
"Yeah, like I can fulfill my promise like this," Nephrite cries spreading  
his arms wide to emphasize his transparent figure, "I'd most likely get a  
scream then a kiss from Jupiter when I come home."  
  
"Looking at you anyone would scream," Jadeite sniggers.  
  
"Can't you ever be serious about anything Jadeite?"  
  
"Of course I can!" Jadeite shouts back indignantly. "Do you think I like  
to be a ghost? A voice without a body?"  
  
"To Mars, you'll be without a body *and* a voice," Zoisites points out.  
  
"No, not Mars," Jadeite says slowly. "She heard me."  
  
"What?" the others exclaimed simultaneously.  
  
"I don't know how or why, but Mars can hear me."  
  
"Can she see you?" Kunzite inquires.  
  
Jadeite shakes his head sadly. "No," he whispers, "she can neither see me  
nor touch me, but she can hear me."  
  
"Mars has always been the spiritual one," Zoisite says. "It must be her  
special psychic powers that enable her to communicate with you."  
  
"Perhaps we should talk to her," Kunzite says. His suggestion of returning  
to face her makes Jadeite a bit uneasy. No matter how much he desires to  
see her again, to hear her lovely voice, to see her lovely eyes, his guilt  
and his love for her prevents him from following the yearning raging in his  
heart. Kunzite does not know what pain he is causing his friend when he  
suggested such a plan; though he understands perfectly well what Jadeite is  
going through-had he not killed the one love he had as well?-but he is  
strong where duty lies, Jadeite is not. Kunzite knows that he must fine the  
answers to these unknown questions; he must seek out the unknown and fulfill  
his promise. Jadeite fears this path. He fears that he will only bring  
further harm to her as he had done so long ago. He blames himself for her  
death. If only he had not loved her she might have been safe; if only he  
had stayed with her and protected her as he should she would still be here  
with him, but he did not and she is gone. Two loves worlds apart. She is  
in the world of the living and he is dead. Not even love can breach the  
barrier that now lies between them. In his blinded mind, he believes that  
it is best she forgets him. In due time she would fine another, he thinks.  
In due time…but he does not know that time is on her side. No matter how  
long, she will forever wait for him to return and fulfill his promise, a  
promise he said he would keep.  
  
"She may be the only one who is able to help us answer the one important  
question we need to know," Kunzite's voice drifts into his numbing mind.  
  
"And that would be…?"  
  
"Why this is happening?"  
  
"NO!" Jadeite suddenly objects.  
"Why do you object?" Kunzite questions carefully as he observes his friends  
pale face. He sees plainly on his face emotions of unbelievable guilt and  
regret.  
  
"I can't," Jadeite exclaims, his eyes gazing mournfully at the floor, "I  
just can't. It is better that she does not see me again."  
  
"But she loves you," Zoisite says, "Surely she would be willing to help us."  
  
"She would help anyone," Jadeite whispers with a sorrowful smile.  
  
"Then why do you protest against seeking her help?" Nephrite asks slightly  
annoyed.  
  
"I do not protest against her help. I protest against dragging her into  
this mess!"  
  
"Jadeite," Kunzite says sympathetically, "I understand that you feel guilty  
for betraying her back then, but it was not your fault."  
  
"It was!" Jadeite cries, "It was all my fault!" He raises his shaky hands  
in front of him while his face shows inexpressible sorrow. "Look at these  
hands," he whispers, "soiled red with her blood. Feel this heart, cracked  
by a pure love lost. See this soul, darkened by the guilt I feel. You  
cannot tell me that it was not my fault, because it was all my fault!"  
  
"Jadeite listen to me!" Kunzite growls at his foolish friend. He grabs  
Jadeite's shoulders making him look up into his eyes. "Would you have done  
what you did if you were not under Beryl's command?"  
  
"Of course not!" he shouts back angry at the absurdity of the question.  
"I loved her, why would I do such as thing!"  
  
"Then why do you feel guilty?!" Kunzite yells back.  
  
Jadeite does not reply.  
  
"Look Jadeite," Nephrite speaks up softly, "you were under Beryl's powers.  
What your body did was done by Beryl's hands and not yours."  
  
"You cannot blame yourself for what was not your doing," Zoisite adds.  
  
"Listen to your heart," Kunzite says, "It will never lie to you. She will  
forgive you, Jadeite. If she truly loves you she will understand what had  
happened and forget that sad past."  
  
"But…"  
  
"Jadeite!" Kunzite feels annoyance and anger at the stubborn and blinded  
mind of his friend, "Stop your self pitying and see the truth! You have an  
obligation to carry out and a promise to fulfill. Will you go against your  
words and your love by refusing to do what you have promised to do?"  
  
Jadeite pulls away from Kunzite. His gaze falls to the ground as a struggle  
of emotions takes place within him. What the others said is true, he  
thinks, I can't break my promise to her. He remembers his encounter with  
her just moments before, "Jadeite please hang on," she pleaded to him,  
whatever it is, fight it! I know you can do it! Just stay with me, don't  
leave me…please…"  
  
"W-w-why do you…care?" he manages to ask her.  
  
"B-because," she whispers, her throat tight with the pain raging in her  
heart, "B-because I…I love you."  
  
Her words rang with truth he was almost blinded to. She will forgive me,  
he thinks.  
  
"All right," he whispers, "let's go see her."  
  
  
  
  
Deep within the Earth, buried in darkness and confined in eternal solitude  
sleeps an old foe. "Wake up, Queen Metallica," a voice hisses. "It is now  
time for you to fulfill your part in history. Wake up, dark Queen. I give  
you your freedom!"  
  
Slowly, dark shadows of unseen fragments gather together at a vertex.  
Cracks and groans shook the solid earth around it as the dark fragments  
fuse together forming a large misty shadow. A great rumble coming from the  
depths of the Earth replies to the voice of its liberator. Abruptly, a  
crimson light slices through the darkness as the dark Queen awakens from her  
cursed sleep.  
  
======================================  
  
[Chapter 5 coming soon!]  
  



	6. Premonition

Hello! This story is about the Generals and it  
is related to the Manga, taking place not long after the  
Dark Moon Kingdom.  
  
This story is rated PG (Nothing serious, so don't worry) ^_~  
  
Everyone please email me, I really really would like some input on  
this story. Besides, I love to receive emails from ya' all! ~_~  
  
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness  
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made  
possible by DiC.  
  
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com  
  
= thoughts  
[ ] = author's note  
  
All right, on with the show!  
  
============================================================================  
GEMSTONE'S OATH   
========================= By Cosmos ==================================  
  
Chapter 5: Premonition  
  
  
"Jeez, it's sure quiet without that little kid running around," Venus sighs  
dejectedly.  
  
"Don't worry Venus, they'll be back within a week," Mercury assures her.  
She turns from Venus to the majestic royal garden spread out before them.  
They are sitting on a large veranda made of unusual marble adorned with  
magnificent white décors. A grand garden fills their view as they sat  
sipping some lemonade and watching Aurora with her soft brushes paint colors  
of carmine, pale orange, violet, yellow and gold on the petals of beautiful  
flowers growing in the garden. Surrounding white lilies and irises,  
daffodils and blue bells, poppies and sunflowers, are breathtaking bushes of  
roses the color of blood and snow.  
  
"Up early today aren't we?" a strong warm voice asks them from behind. They  
both turn to see their friend leaning lazily against the frame of the grand  
doorway leading to the veranda, the one where Nephrite passed through the  
night before.  
  
"Couldn't sleep," Venus replies.  
  
"Wow," Jupiter whistles then adds with a grin, "Never thought that would be  
a problem of yours."  
  
Venus grumbles an inaudible response. "It's because of the dream she had  
last night," Mercury explains.  
  
"Oh?" Jupiter raises an eyebrow, then turning from Mercury back to Venus  
says, "You've never dreamt of anything since the creation of Crystal Tokyo  
years ago. We thought that you could no longer dream, but I guess we're  
proven wrong. So, what did you dream about?"  
  
She does not reply immediately. A gentle silence hovers over them as Venus  
gazes at the dawn with mournful pale blue eyes. Jupiter can barely see  
sparkling droplets of tears forming in the depths of those blue skies.  
Slowly, her full lips part to whisper just a single word, a name that not  
only affects her, but also her friends as well. "Kunzite," she whispers.  
  
Jupiter gasps and took a step back. She reaches out to hold onto the  
doorframe to steady her knees that have suddenly felt too weak to support  
her. "You mean…"  
  
"She dreamt of the Generals," Mercury finishes Jupiter's sentence.  
  
"Tell me," another voice whispers from the shadows within the palace, "your  
whole dream."  
  
"Mars!" Venus gasps, "You look so pale. What happened? Didn't you get any  
sleep last night?"  
  
"Are you sick?" Jupiter asks with great concern for her friend.  
  
She raises a slender hand and shakes her head slowly. "I'm fine. Venus,  
you said you dreamt about the Generals. Please tell me about your dream."  
  
"It was only a dream," Venus shakes her head sadly, "Nothing important to  
tell. Why do you want to know?"  
  
"Let's just say out of simple curiosity."  
  
Venus looks hard at Mars's face. She could not see anything that would  
reveal to her Mars's unusual behavior, but then Mars has always been good  
at hiding her emotions. She shrugs her suspicions off and replies, "All  
right."  
  
The others gather around her as she begins her tale of a dream she wishes  
would never end and yet she wants to never have begun:  
  
"I didn't dream about all of the Generals only of Kunzite. It has been so  
long since I had last dreamt of anything, especially of him…ever since the  
battle millennia ago. In my dreams I found myself facing against an  
incredible monster. I couldn't see its face, but strangely it sounded a lot  
like Queen Metallica."  
  
"Queen Metallica?" Jupiter interrupts, "but she's dead!"  
  
"Shush Jupiter!" Mars chides, "Let her finish her story."  
  
"Sorry," Jupiter mumbles under her breath.  
  
Venus looks at Mars for a moment. Her pale blue eyes scan her friend's face  
as she thinks, Why are you so interested in this dream, Mars? She wants  
to ask her that question, but decides against it. She trusts Mars. Venus  
knows that if she knew something important that concerns them all, she would  
tell them eventually when the time is right.  
  
"I know Jupiter," Venus continues, "I know Metallica is dead, but that is  
why this dream was so strange. Against my logic, I still believe I heard  
Metallica's voice coming from that dark shadow. That's all I saw, a shadow.  
I did not know what I was up against, but I knew that it was evil. I  
called upon my powers to fight against the monster but somehow nothing  
happened. I was helpless to defend myself. The dream blurred for a moment  
and when it cleared I found myself trapped in a spider's web. The shadow  
was floating in front of me, looming over me like a gigantic tidal wave. I  
knew then that this would be the end. I could not fight. I could not  
scream. I could do nothing. I felt disheartened at the hopeless  
circumstance that had befallen me, so I simply closed my eyes and hoped  
that the end would be swift. I know that action does not seem like  
something I would do, but in that dream I felt so alone and so full of  
despair that death did not seem like a bad alternative.  
  
As I waited for that final blow that would end all my misery, I heard him  
call my name…  
  
[dream]  
  
"Venus!" he screamed, "Sailor Venus!"  
  
My eyes flew open at the sound of a familiar voice screaming my name with  
such grievance. Who is it, I wonder, who could be calling my name right  
now? Then through the misty darkness in front of me the silhouette of a  
tall figure appeared. I saw strong gray-blue eyes looking at me, watching  
me with mournful silence. Again, he called my name, "Venus!"  
  
"Who are you?" I cried, ignoring the immense shadow that stood between him  
and me. "Tell me who you are!" I screamed again. At that moment, I was  
only determined to know his name. It had never crossed my mind to ask for  
his help, or to know how he knew my name, but that was answered in due  
time. He just stood there, hidden in shadows as if held captive by the  
darkness surrounding him. He constantly screams my name, each time more  
distressed then before. I could sense him struggling against the shadows  
that held him. In my mind I knew he would never escape his captors, but  
my heart thought otherwise, and it was my heart that was correct. Before  
I knew it, he was free. He escaped the darkness that imprisoned him and  
was struggling toward me. Once in the light, I saw who my unknown savior  
was, Kunzite…the man I have loved…and the one whom has betrayed me; and  
yet I had forgiven him…forgiven the wrong doing I knew he did not  
intentionally do, though I knew not how I came to that conclusion.  
Nonetheless, it was he. I was so sure it was him, running toward me with  
mournful eyes that revealed a tattered soul.  
  
"Kunzite!" I called to him, "Stay back! It's too dangerous! Stay back!"  
But he did not listen to me. Instead he continued to struggle toward me  
with all his strength. I saw the dark shadow launched out a long black  
blade straight for me. I gasped in fear as I struggled to free myself from  
the strange web that entrapped me, but my struggle proved to be useless; the  
web was too strong. Unexpectedly, I saw two bright beams of light flash  
before my eyes. At that moment, I thought it was a vision of my life  
passing before me, but it was his strength. His light blades sliced through  
the web and set me free.  
  
I fell to the ground in a heap. I looked up to see him battling against  
the shadow, but it was obvious that he was losing. I tried to stand up so  
that I could help him fight, but my legs just would not listen to me. I  
slammed my fist against the dark ground in frustration. Tears of anger  
spilled down my cheeks, anger against myself…against my helplessness. No  
matter how hard I struggled I just could not move my legs. I looked up at  
him and through tear blurred eyes, I knew I could not help him. All I  
could  
do was watch him lose the fight…and lose his life.  
  
"Why can't I move?" I asked myself. "Move damnit!" I yelled at my immobile  
legs, "I must help him! Kunzite, hang on! Damnit, get up! Get up! I  
MUST…HELP…HIM!" Uncontrollable tears flowed down my eyes, but that was all  
I could do…was to cry.  
  
I watched helplessly as the dark shadow overpowered him. He fell to his  
knees, his light blades landing beside him. Slowly, as if time itself was  
struggling to flow, he turned and gazed at me with such sad eyes that I  
thought I heard my heart cry. I realized what he was about to do. I don't  
know how I knew, but I knew. He was going to sacrifice his life in order  
to save mine.  
  
"Kunzite! Nooooo!" I yelled, "Don't do it!" But my cry went unheard because  
just then he threw himself into the dark shadow and disappeared from view.  
  
[end dream]  
  
"And that was all I saw."  
  
Silence enveloped them all as Venus ended her recount of her nightmare.  
Mars stands up and strolls silently toward the wood railing of the veranda.  
She leans against it while her gaze fell upon the rising sun so far away.  
  
For some time no one spoke. Each deep in thought about what Venus had just  
recounted. Then quietly, like a shy little child, a small soft voice says,  
"I, too, dreamt about the Generals."  
  
Mars' eyes widen in surprise as she quickly turns around to look at the  
owner of that voice. They all gaze at Mercury, whom is staring vacantly at  
the treetops rustling quietly in the morning breeze.  
  
"You dreamt about the Generals too?" Mars inquires.  
  
Mercury nods her head and replies, "Zoisite."  
  
"I must also add my little night encounter as well," Jupiter says, "for I  
too have dreamt a similar dream last night. I dreamt of…"  
  
"Nephrite," Mars finishes for her.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Well, the trend is pretty obvious."  
  
"You have probably dreamt of Jadeite, I would guess," Mercury says.  
  
Mars's gaze turned back toward the sun, now slightly above the horizon.  
For a moment she does not answer. The others wait patiently, allowing Mars  
to regain control of her emotions. They know how this affects them all.  
They have loved these men for as long as they could remember. No matter  
what past mistakes were done, or what destructive misdeeds were carried out,  
the soldiers still love them. Before the creation of Crystal Tokyo, this  
love was hidden from them, perhaps to protect their fragile young hearts  
from the knowledge that is now slowly eating away at their souls. But love  
cannot be hidden for long, and once Crystal Tokyo was formed, their entire  
past history was revealed to them all.  
  
Slowly, Mars replies, "I did not dream."  
  
"No?" Jupiter gasps. "But it seems we all encountered a similar dream.  
Surely you've seen something last night Mars. The coincidence of our dreams  
cannot be what it is, mere coincidence."  
  
"I did not dream of anything or anyone!" Mars exclaims, turning angrily  
around. "Is that so hard to comprehend, Jupiter? Just because you all  
dreamt of your loves, doesn't mean I would too!"  
  
"I-I'm sorry," Jupiter is taken aback by Mars's sudden flare in temper. "I  
just thought…" but she left her sentence unfinished.  
  
"No, I'm the one that's sorry," Mars manages to whisper through her tight  
throat. "Sorry to have ever believed that he would one day return."  
  
"Oh Mars," Venus says sympathetically, "You shouldn't say that. You must  
believe."  
  
"Believe in what, Venus?" Mars yells angrily, hot stinging tears rising to  
the surface of her raging violet eyes. "That he would all of sudden walk  
through the palace gates one day? That he would appear out of thin air in  
the middle of the night? He is no longer here. He is dead, and so is his  
promise. I have held onto the hope that he would return to me one day, so  
much so that I even found myself hallucinating last night believing that I  
actually heard his voice conversing with me, but now I realize there was  
nothing there except the empty air and my disillusioned mind. There is  
nothing left to believe in, Venus. I should have let him go long ago  
instead of holding onto a fading memory as I have done."  
  
Jupiter listens to Mars with a heavy heart. She knows exactly what Mars is  
going through. After all, how long can one wait for someone that no longer  
exists.  
  
Many have wondered why we retain the pain of a past long gone. Some told  
us to remember only of the happiness and forget the tragedies, but for us  
there is no choice in what is to be remembered and what is to be forgotten.  
Another hand is dealing the cards and we are only the blind players of this  
unmerciful game. We did not choose our destiny; we did not choose our  
future. We take what is laid before us and hope that fate will be kind to  
us. For those who envy us as soldiers, be advised to rethink your choice.  
We have the power, we have the strength, but we do not have the love or  
peace that many harbor in their innocent souls. We envy you, who do not  
know the pain that we know so well.  
  
"But *we* have returned," Mercury speaks up. The others turn to look at the  
quiet blue soldier. The soft rays of dawn bathe her face in warm colors  
giving her a look of pure innocence and hope, which is a reflection of her  
good heart. She returns their gaze with her sparkling blues filled with so  
many dreams and hope. She continues, "We've returned…why can't they?"  
  
================================================  
  
[Chapter 6 up next!]  



	7. Reawakening

Hello! This story is about the Generals and it  
is related to the Manga, taking place not long after the  
Dark Moon Kingdom.  
  
This story is rated PG (Nothing serious, so don't worry) ^_~  
  
Everyone please email me, I really really would like some input on  
this story. Besides, I love to receive emails from ya' all! ~_~  
  
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness  
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made  
possible by DiC.  
  
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com  
  
= thoughts  
[ ] = author's note  
  
All right, on with the show!  
  
============================================================================  
GEMSTONE'S OATH   
========================= By Cosmos ==================================  
  
Chapter 6: Reawakening  
  
  
Dark energy swirls around her like a twister pulling at her hair and choking  
her with its long incriminating fingers. "You shall die this time,  
Selenity," a familiar voice hisses, "This time I will win and your little  
city would be mine."  
  
"NO!" she screams, "You will never win! I have defeated you once and I will  
defeat you again! You hear me?! I will defeat you again!!!"  
  
"Without your little friends, who will help you fight against me? Besides,  
sitting on the throne has made you weak!"  
  
"What?…W-what have you done to them you witch? If you so much as singe a  
single hair off of any of them, I will…"  
  
"You will what?" the dark voice interrupts her with a challenging tone.  
"You are already too late, little Queen. As we speak, your friends are  
dying!" The shadow gives a bone chilling laughter and quickly dissolves  
into the dark swirling wind.  
  
"NOOO!"  
  
[end of dream]  
  
"NO!" she screams as she jerks up in bed.  
  
"Selenity?" a sleepy voice beside her calls out with concern, "Honey, are  
you all right?"  
  
"An evil has awakened," she says, her voice filled with dread and fear, "We  
must get back to Crystal Tokyo…but even then we might be too late."  
  
  
  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
The setting sun bathes the palace in an orange curtain of light. Here and  
there people busily stroll through the beautiful streets toward their  
destination, whether it be the malls, their friends, or to the comfort of  
their homes. Yet, within the very building that stands as a symbol of their  
peaceful world, peace is no where to be found. Sorrow and despair now  
occupies this once lively place; and to add to the atmosphere of misery,  
the last rays of the setting sun dives beneath the horizon, leaving the city  
dark and cold. The cloak of night sweeps over the land and drowns out the  
lovely songs of birds. Once again, the moon conquers the midnight heaven  
and the shadows of night invades the crevices in alleyways and hidden  
corners. Among these misty silhouettes stirs a dark shadow unlike any   
other. This one is alive, moving with such stealth and silence that no one   
around it is aware of its presence. This creature of the dark slowly heads   
toward the gateway of the Crystal Palace.  
  
Within the protective walls of the crystal building, four spirits awaken  
from their imprisonment within the cold hard walls of beautiful gems. For  
years now, the night has become their dawn, and the dawn, their night.  
Once again, their ghostly wandering continues until the coming of dawn  
forces them back into their prisons.  
  
"All right," Kunzite says, "tonight we go see Mars. Jadeite, you know  
where she is, please lead the way."  
  
Jadeite does not reply but does as he is asked to. He leads them out of  
the room, down the long hall that contains the mural of a battle he now  
remembers all too well, and stops abruptly in front of a majestic door  
leading to her room.  
  
"This is it," Jadeite whispers silently with his hands clenched tightly  
at his sides. His mind screams at him to turn tail and run…run away from  
the past…run away from this cursed night wandering…run away from an endless  
death that he now leads…but his heart questions…is he to run away from her  
as well?  
  
Yet, before he could answer his heart, Kunzite-noticing his friend's slight  
hesitation-quickly grabs his arm and pulls him inside. Once again, the  
elegance and warmth of the room meets his gaze, but another picture quickly  
captures his attention. A beautiful maiden with long raven colored hair  
spread out around her like a pool of dark water sits meditating in front of  
a large fire. Her eyes are closed as her soft lips whisper abstruse  
enchantments meant only for her ears alone.  
  
"Perhaps we shouldn't bother her now," Jadeite whispers nervously to the  
others. Upon the sound of his voice, Mars abruptly stops. Her back  
straightens like a vertical pole and her muscles tense as she focuses her  
ears to the sound she thought she just heard…and a voice she recognizes.  
  
"It seems she already knows you're here," Kunzite says in a normal tone.  
Jadeite jumps and places a palm across his mouth to quickly silence him,  
but that is a useless gesture because Mars can only hear him. She can only  
hear what her heart hears.  
  
Nephrite looks at Kunzite struggling against a nervous Jadeite and, no  
longer able to contain his laughter, breaks out bellowing uncontrollably.  
Zoisite notices that Mars is still sitting in the same position despite the  
ruckus Nephrite is making. He frowns and says, "Hold it Jadeite."  
  
Jadeite freezes. He turns his attention to Zoisite; his grip on Kunzite's  
mouth loosens. Seeing this as an opening, Kunzite quickly breaks away from  
his hold. "What is it Zoisite?" Jadeite asks with a frown.  
  
"Jadeite?" Mars whispers with disbelief. "I-is that..you?"  
  
"She can only hear you Jadeite," Zoisite says matter-of-factly.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Jadeite shouts in frustration. "She  
can hear you guys too."  
  
Zoisite shakes his head, "Nope, only you."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"Why is what?" Mars asks. "Jadeite….?"  
  
"I told you-"  
  
"Don't…even say it," Jadeite interrupts him.  
  
"Don't say what?" Mars asks in bewilderment. She looks wildly around her,  
but all she can see is the empty air around her. "Jeez, I must be losing my  
mind," she says to herself. "I'm actually believing I heard him."  
  
"Jadeite," Kunzite says, "speak to her, comfort her before she believes  
that she is truly going crazy."  
  
"Hearing him," Nephrite says, "anyone would."  
  
Jadeite glares threateningly at Nephrite then he turns and glides toward  
Mars. "Mars," he whispers her name into her ears.  
  
"Jadeite?"  
  
"It's me."  
  
"Am I going crazy? I'm actually hearing your voice."  
  
"No, my love," he says in a distraught tone, "I am truly here."  
  
"But…but I can't see you," Mars cries. "W-why can't I see you?" He gazes  
at her mournful face and detects faint droplets of tears forming in her  
beautiful eyes.  
  
Oh, what can I say? He thinks, I can't just say, 'Well Mars, the  
reason you can't see me is because I'm dead and you're not.' No…  
  
"Jadeite, are you still here?" she asks the thin air when he fails to answer  
her.  
  
"Yeah…yeah I'm still here."  
  
"Jadeite, stop playing around and show yourself!" she says in irritation.  
  
"I really can't show myself."  
  
"Why not?!"  
  
"Because I'm only a shadow of what I used to be." That should do it, he  
thinks, that is a good answer.  
  
"What are you talking about? Jadeite, this is not funny!"  
  
Guess not.  
  
"Don't you remember the conversation we had yesterday night? I told you then  
why you can't see me."  
  
"Yesterday night? You mean…I was not hallucinating yesterday?"  
  
"Afraid not, love."  
  
"Why is this happening, Jadeite? Why are you here?"  
  
He can hear his heart crack at the question she just launched at him.  
Oblivious to the other three around him, he focuses all his attention on  
the beautiful goddess before him. His mouth turns from a sad frown to a  
thin stubborn line. He is determined to find out, once and for all, if she  
still loves him,…or has time washed away that love.  
  
"Don't you want me here?" he asks her, his tone contains slight anger and  
sorrow.  
  
"What? No…I mean yes…I mean…oh I don't know what the hell I'm talking about  
here," Mars says in misery. "Jadeite," she whispers in a tone revealing a  
confused soul, "I have always wished that you are here with me. Do you  
remember what you promised me long ago?"  
  
"I do."  
  
"And so do I," she continues, "and I have waited for so many years holding  
onto the hopes that you will return…but you never did."  
  
"Mars…"  
  
"No, I understand."  
  
"Look, can we skip this and get onto business?" Nephrite says in agitation.  
  
"Hang on will you?!" Jadeite shouts to him.  
  
"What?" Mars cries indignantly.  
  
"No, no," Jadeite cries, "Not you Mars, I mean Nephrite here."  
  
"Nephrite?" Mars looks around her again, "Is he here with you?"  
  
"Yeah, all three morons."  
  
"Why you…you," Nephrite launches at Jadeite with a fist aiming for his  
face. Kunzite quickly holds him back and thus preventing an all out  
slugfest.  
  
"Jadeite!" Mars reprimand, "Be nice."  
  
"Ha-ha" Nephrite laughs, "Thank you so much, most kind maiden." He bows low  
to her.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Jadeite, what is going on here?"  
  
"We…we need your help," he says, "since you are the only one who can hear   
us,  
actually only me, we thought maybe you might be able to help us. We need  
you to find out what is happening to us. Kunzite believes that something  
from the past is awakening, and it is seeking something. We all think that  
its target is us."  
  
"I don't know," Mars says insecurely, "I may have spiritual powers, but  
actively helping ghosts…"  
  
"Please Mars," Jadeite pleads, "you are the only one we can turn to.  
Please love, help us…help me."  
  
"Oh, Jadeite," Mars cries, tears escaping from her eyes, "I want to. I  
really do, but I don't know if I can."  
  
"Believe in yourself," Jadeite whispers comfortingly to her, "You must  
believe."  
  
'You must believe.' Venus's words echo in her mind.  
  
"All right," she sighs heavily, "I'll help you as much as I can. Now,  
tell me what is happening to you. Tell me the whole story."  
  
  
  
  
"You must be cautious," a dark voice whispers to her, "the Sailor Soldiers  
are much stronger than when you have last encountered them. Their powers  
have increased tenfold. Also, there are four other soldiers whom have  
joined them. You must make sure they do not enter the fight, or you will  
surely lose."  
  
"I will not lose this time," a cruel voice hisses. "Are all the soldiers  
in the palace?"  
  
"No," the embodied voice replies, "only the four inner guardians."  
  
"Good, then this will not be so tough after all."  
  
"Metallica!" the other voice reprimands, "I will warn you only one more  
time. Do not underestimate them. The four alone can destroy you without  
any outside help."  
  
"Then how am I to defeat them alone?" the shadow hisses back.  
  
"I thought you were more intelligent, Metallica," the other says  
satirically.  
  
"Do not mock me!" the shadow growls. "I have more power then you will  
believe!"  
  
"And you should remember who brought you back, dark Queen," the hidden  
voice snaps. "Don't irritate me! Now shut up and listen! I said the four  
of them can destroy you, but alone they are weaker then you. Are you  
getting that into your little brain?"  
  
"Got it," a sinister smile spreads across her dark face, "and soon I will  
get them also."  
  
  
  
  
"And that is what is happening so far," Jadeite finishes his recounts of  
their endeavors in the night past.  
  
Mars sits quietly listening to Jadeite's voice. She does not stir even when  
he finished. So that is how they remembered, she thinks. So that is why  
he did not return…and why they fought for Beryl. She cringes at the words  
she had shouted at him long ago…words that sliced so deep into his trapped  
soul…words that rang with falsehood. They notice her hands suddenly  
clenching tight in her lap. Jadeite looks at her face wondering what she  
is thinking about right now that causes the incredible pain and hatred he  
sees in her eyes.  
  
Beryl, she thinks, damn you Beryl. How could you have done such a thing?  
So many lives have been destroyed by your dark hands and you stood so low as  
to pit the ones we've loved and trusted against us? If you are here now, I  
would love to show you all the pain and misery you have caused. A sorrow  
that will forever be carried in the hearts of those whom had survived…and  
survived unto today.  
  
"Mars?" his voice drifts into her thought, awakening her from her raging  
hatred.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Well, can you help us?"  
  
"Uhh…I don't know if I can, but I think Neo-Queen Selenity can."  
  
"Selenity," he whispers, "is she here?"  
  
"No, the royal family have taken a vacation to the moon. They won't be  
back until next week. You'll have to wait until they return."  
  
"Great," Nephrite mumbles.  
  
"Look Nephrite," Kunzite says, "We've waited for over two thousand years,  
we can wait for another week."  
  
"Don't worry," a voice hisses from within the shadows, "I don't have to  
wait for long."  
  
"What?" they exclaim. Turning quickly around, they see a large dark shadow  
looming over the doorway.  
  
"Where upon the moon?" Mars cries out in surprise.  
  
"Nice to meet you again Sailor Mars," the shadow seethes.  
  
"Again?" Mars says in bewilderment, "and where have we met before?"  
  
"My, my," the shadow shakes its head, "what poor memories you sailors have,  
but I'm not surprise for such a tiny brain. I should refresh your memory,  
now shouldn't I?" A dark tentacle quickly reaches out and wraps itself  
around Mars's neck.  
  
Mars gasps in surprise and tries to jump out of the way, but soon realizes  
that it is too late. The slimy appendage tightens painfully around her  
throat.  
  
"MARS!" Jadeite shouts. He reaches out to grab the tentacle that holds  
Mars, but his attempt proves to be useless. His misty hand simply flew  
right through them both. "NO!" he screams. He strove to grab the tentacle  
again, but again his hand passes right through it.  
  
"Jadeite!" Mars manages to cry through her choked throat, "please help me!"  
  
"Mars, hang on!" he shouts. Again and again and again he launches at the  
tentacle that is now slowly squeezing her life away, but once more he passes  
right through like the ghost he is.  
  
The others have tried to help Mars also, but their attempts proved to be as  
fruitless as his. Kunzite realizes that there is nothing they could do.  
They stand pale faced and clenched hands watching their desperate friend  
fighting a useless fight.  
  
Jadeite notices his friends standing dejectedly around them watching in  
silence as horror upon horror reflects in their eyes. He turns around and  
shouts angrily at them, "What the hell are you guys doing? Why aren't you  
helping her?"  
  
"There is nothing we can do," Kunzite whispers sadly.  
  
"We are only ghosts, Jadeite" Zoisite says, "We can't even touch them."  
  
"Well, try!" he screams at them with such hatred in his eyes.  
  
"We tried!" Nephrite shouts back, "Do you think we did not try? We are in as  
much despair as you are. She is as much of our friend as she is your lover,  
but there is nothing we can do! Give it up, Jadeite."  
  
"NO!" he shouts stubbornly, "I refuse to give up! I *will never give up!*  
Mars hang on! Hang on love! Please hang on! I can't let you die…not this  
time."  
  
Kunzite watches with a heavy heart for he knows that they are helpless to  
save Mars. Damnit, he thinks, his fists clenched tight against his  
sides, There must be something we can do. We can't let this monster  
simply kill her! Jadeite's heartbreaking cries reverberates through  
dark air around them tearing at the hearts of his friends.  
  
Never have Kunzite seen such pains and despair on a person's face as he  
sees on his friend's. Turquoise eyes burning with such fear, hatred,  
hopelessness, and love simultaneously. Reflecting on Jadeites face as  
clear as the moonlit sky, the turmoil in his heart. One after another,  
various emotions fight each other to conquer his soul as he is fighting  
to free her. Two battles raging at once in one torn soul.  
  
Desperate. Futile. Hopeless. Lost. Such words can not even describe  
what he is feeling inside…nothing would ever describe what he is going  
through…seeing his love dying before his eyes…and he can do nothing.  
  
"Mars!" another voice screams her name. All turns around to see three  
Eternal Guardians standing in the doorway, looks of impossible hatred sits  
on their faces.  
  
"Mars hang on," Jupiter shouts. Her words echo what he said only moments  
before.  
  
"Mercury Eternity Freeze!" the blue soldier shouts, her voice determined  
and strong. A blast of arctic storm freezes the shadow's several tentacles.   
They break under their own weight thus freeing Mars from the death grip.  
  
Mars fell unconscious to the floor, but her descent is quickly intercepted  
by Jupiter. She hastily pulls Mars away from the raging shadow looming over  
them. Jadeite watches with relief…but also with pain and envy. Jupiter  
saved her, he thinks. She can touch her. She was able to help her, when  
I could not. A tear slowly slid down his cheek as sorrow pounds in his  
heart. "I'm sorry Mars," he whispers to her when he rushed to her side,  
"I'm sorry I could not help you when you've asked me to. I'm sorry…sorry  
for everything."  
  
"Jadeite," she barely whispers before the depths of unconsciousness claim  
her.  
  
"Mars?" he cries, "please open your eyes, my love. Oh God, no…no…NO!" He  
screams her name again and again, but to no avail. Stinging tears of sorrow  
and his inability to help her overcomes his soul. From within the distant  
room, the turquoise gem begins to glow eerily. Suddenly he feels a sudden  
rush of power jolt through his being like lightning through the stormy sky.  
  
"W-what is…happening?" He looks down at his fingers, and to his surprise,  
sees them beginning to solidify ever so slowly.  
  
Meanwhile, Jupiter hears Venus gasp in shock as she puts the images of her  
dream together with that she is confronting right now. "This can't be," she  
cries with disbelief. "You! You're in my dream!" In the wake of her shock,  
Venus does not see a free tentacle swinging at incredible speed toward her.  
  
"VENUS!" two voices scream her name simultaneously, but their cry of warning  
comes too late as Venus gets struck down by the darkness. At such speed and  
with such strength, her body is sent flying toward the wall on the far side  
of the room, to land in a heap at the foot of her unseen lover.  
  
Kunzite looks down with unbelievable horror darkening his handsome face.  
"Venus!" he cries again. Bending down he reaches for her face with a pale  
hand, but, like Jadeite, is unable to touch her. "God no," he whispers in  
a broken voice echoing the pain and despair in his heart. "Venus wake up!"  
he cries, but he knows that she cannot hear him. Nonetheless, he continues  
to call her name, to urge her to awaken…to fight for her life. "Lovely  
Aphrodite," he whispers, "please open your eyes. Please Venus! I beg of  
you…on my knees…I beg of you to awaken." But she does not move. "Venus,"  
he cries now angry at her silence…and at his helplessness, "wake up damnit!  
Don't you dare die on me! You will live do you understand! You will live…you  
must live!" All the time he yelled at her, his hands constantly reach out to  
grab her, hoping to heavens that somehow…someway he will be able to touch  
her and possibly shake her to consciousness. Incredible emotions overpower  
his senses as he struggles along with her to save her life. Yet, as he  
calls her name, he somehow knows that she is fading away fast. If only he  
can touch her, possibly transfer some of his life energy into her, then  
maybe he can save her. He fights against the invisible hands that hold him  
back. He struggles to break the barrier between death and life. He fights  
with all his strength to be with her, to comfort her, to protect her, to  
help her, to save her.  
In the distant, caressed by the soft light of the pale moon, a lilac  
colored gem begins to glow with unbelievable power. Feeling a foreign  
source of energy flowing through him, he looks down at his hands in   
confusion. He sees them glow slightly at first, then stronger  
as the flesh upon them slowly solidify.  
  
While Kunzite and Jadeite tries desperately to awaken their love, two other  
friends are trying to protect them. "Jupiter Razor Leaf Everlasting!" the  
green soldier screams at her attacker, but the monster manages to avoid the  
onslaught of razor sharp leaves flying swiftly toward it.  
  
"Mercury Ice Daggers Penetrate!" Again, the attack is evaded. The strange  
dark creature is too fast and too strong for only the two of them to  
overcome. The monster's swift counterattack sends them both rearing  
toward the far side of the room near the open balcony. Jupiter struggles  
to regain her footing, but falters as incredible pain burns in her chest  
where the attack struck her. Mercury can only raise her head to glance  
hopelessly at the monster. Realizing that retreat is inevitable, Mercury  
searches for an opening for them to escape, but found none.  
  
Nephrite and Zoisite too struggles to help the two people they love so  
deeply. Unseen and unheard, they try to reach out to the female soldiers  
fallen nearby. Much like Kunzite and Jadeite, their will to protect their  
loves trigger a hidden source of power from deep within, from a place they  
never knew exists. What was once seen only as their prison, is now their  
source of life. The four gems glow with incredible strength, channeling  
the stored power to the four Generals. With great surprise, the four find  
themselves, or actually their bodies, slowly solidifying before their  
eyes…and other eyes as well.  
  
"What the-?" Mercury hears Jupiter's cry of surprise. She looks quickly in  
the direction Jupiter seems to be entranced at and gasps in shock. Like a  
disappearing-reappearing act from some old magic trick, four men dressed in  
the old soldiers uniform of Earth slowly becomes visible before them.  
  
"Nephrite? Kunzite?"  
  
"Zoisite? Jadeite?"  
  
"The Generals?" the shadow whispers, "How can this be? Beryl said you were  
destroyed!"  
  
"Beryl?" Jupiter wonders aloud. "Who are you?"  
  
A sinister laughter rings in the air like a wolf's howl under the full  
moon. "Haven't you figured out yet foolish soldiers? I will give you a  
hint. Your little Princess manages to destroy me years ago, but now  
another power has awakened me so that I can seek my revenge against you  
all! Unlike the weakling Beryl, I cannot be stopped!"  
  
"No," Mercury whispers in disbelief, "it can't be. You were dead! You  
couldn't have survived that attack."  
  
"I told you, I have strong allies."  
  
"And so do they," Kunzite speaks up pulling attentions back to them once  
again, "Queen Metallica."  
  
========================================  
  
[Remember to email me! I always respond, so please do email me  
All right, Chapter 7 on its way!]  
  
  



	8. Sacrifice

This story is about the Generals and it  
is related to the Manga, taking place not long after the  
Dark Moon Kingdom.  
  
This story is rated PG (Nothing serious, so don't worry) ^_~  
  
Everyone please email me, I really really would like some input on  
this story. Besides, I love to receive emails from ya' all! ~_~  
  
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness  
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made  
possible by DiC.  
  
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com  
  
= thoughts  
[ ] = author's note  
  
All right, on with the show!  
  
============================================================================  
GEMSTONE'S OATH   
========================= By Cosmos ==================================  
  
Chapter 7: Sacrifice  
  
  
  
  
"They too have allies, " Kunzite exclaims.  
  
"And their allies will defend them to the very end, " Nephrite adds.  
  
"Nephrite?" Jupiter whispers in disbelief. "H-how can this be? Y-you have  
come back." The joy of seeing him alive after all these years brought  
tears to her verdant eyes.  
  
"You will stay out of this if you know what is good for you," Metallica  
threatens.  
  
"What? And let them have all the fun?" Jadeite says sarcastically, "No way!  
Besides, I'd sure enjoy tearing out that little black heart of yours."  
  
A cruel rumbling laughter erupts from the shadowy figure. "Fools," she  
yells, "Do you think you can possibly defeat me? Besides your puny little  
Queen, there is no one here whose power can even be compared to mine."  
  
"Metallica!" the anonymous dark voice calls from within the depth of her  
mind. "Don't be foolish! There is six of them and only one of you. You  
can't possibly defeat them all at once, especially now when their powers  
have increased in strength since last you've met them. Retreat Metallica!"  
  
"Never!" the dark Queen responds with her pride and her thirst for vengeance  
blinding her of logical thinking.  
  
"I command you to fall back!" the dark voice shouts angrily.  
  
"I will not retreat from such insignificant rivals. My powers are far  
greater than theirs will ever be!"  
  
"Have it your way," the embodied voice whispers in a steely tone, "Follow  
your foolish pride, and fight a losing battle. But I warn you, I will not  
revive impotence like you again." Metallica senses the strange presence of  
this being slowly fades from her mind.  
  
"Good ridden," she mumbles in irritation, "Now I will show those foolish  
skeptics what powers Queen Metallica truly have!"  
  
Unexpectedly, she launches one of her remaining tentacles, not at the  
generals before her, but at the exhausted soldiers to her right. Weakened  
from the last attack, Jupiter and Mercury are unable to move quickly enough  
to avoid the incoming impact.  
  
"Watch out!" voices cry.  
  
"NO!" two voices scream, but it is too late. The bodies of their love are  
send slamming back against the wall to only crumble heavily toward the floor  
where they lie motionless.  
  
"Jupiter!"  
  
"Mercury!"  
  
"You…will…pay for this Metallica!" Nephrite growls at the shadow.  
  
The dark Queen simply laughs at them.  
  
Annoyed, Kunzite hisses, "This will be your last laugh, witch!"  
  
A strange look in his eyes completely erases the sinister smile from her  
face. From within the depths of that cold gray-blue gaze lurks an  
incredible power she has never before seen emerging from these men. For  
once, the notion that she may be defeated brings fear to her dark face.  
  
One by one the generals take position around her, sealing her doomed fate.  
Watching with fear dark eyes, Metallica sees her means of escape quickly get  
sealed off as the Generals enclose the circle. Deep within her tremulous  
mind the words of another echoes as a reminder of her ignorance that shall  
soon cause her downfall, "You can't possibly defeat them all at once…Fine  
then follow your foolish pride and fight a lost battle."  
  
"Nooo!" Metallica screams with rage, "No one shall defeat me! No one!" She  
flings her tentacles wildly at the Generals, but misses each time. In her  
crazed state, she fights blindly no longer knowing her purpose, her reason,  
no longer having control.  
  
"It is time to end this misery once and for all," Kunzite whispers between  
his clenched teeth. Despite the dangerous arms swinging chaotically at  
them, they held their ground. Each begins to feel a mysterious surge of  
incredible power from a source they know not where. A hidden strength lain  
dormant for two thousand years begins to awaken in them. Within their  
minds and hearts they call forth this power:  
  
"Elysion spheres, we bid thee come,  
Within the depths where thou art from,  
Release your powers hidden deep,  
We awaken you from your dormant sleep."  
  
They begin to glow faintly-and so did their gems-with the newly found   
powers.  
Suddenly, an intense beam of pure energy shoots out from their bodies to  
pierce into the dark heart of Metallica. From within their entranced minds  
they think they hear a mournful wail escaping between those cold lips. It  
is a sad sound of a broken pride and of one who sees defeat.  
A flood of energy fills the room, piercing through the windows in blinding  
rays of light ripping through the night sky like a silver spear.  
  
Slowly, their powers die down and fades back into the unknown depths from  
which it emerged. The generals open their eyes to see an empty room where a  
great evil once occupied. They glance about them to find their loves still  
on the floor unconscious. The generals quickly rush to their sides.  
  
Just then, the rulers of Crystal Tokyo rush in. "I'm…too late," are the  
only words that escape between her pale lips when the terrible scene met her  
eyes. Her husband is struck speechless by the sight of his generals, alive,  
and by the crumbled bodies of the four guardians.  
  
"Please Queen Selenity," Kunzite implores his queen, "you must save them.  
You must bring them back."  
  
Her blue gaze darkened by the grief in her heart, falls upon the tear  
stained face of the white-haired general. Choked with sorrow, she can only  
manage a nod as a response to his plead. She raises her hands before her  
and calls forth the silver crystal. The bright, hot light of its powers  
emanating from between her fingers signifies its appearance.  
  
"Crystal Power," she whispers her voice like a lone flute in the night air,  
"your strength I now need. Bring life to my friends and stop their   
grieves."  
  
The crystal responds to her request by emitting a powerful beam of energy  
toward the eight figures. For some time, no one spoke as silence hangs  
over them like a heavy dark cloak. Endymion turns to look at his wife with  
worry written clearly on his face. He gets the sensation that something is  
not right. Seeing her face growing paler and sadder with each passing  
minute confirms his suspicion. With dark brows furrowed in uneasiness he  
thinks, What is happening between them? This should not take so long.  
Something is definitely not right here. Suddenly he sees a pristine tear  
escape from under Selenity's closed lids. "Stop!" he shouts, "Something has  
gone wrong. Selenity, stop this immediately. Stop Selenity!" He raises a  
hand and knocks the crystal from her hold, halting the process. With her  
strength almost depleted, she falls weakly to the floor, but Endymion  
quickly stoops down to intercept her rapid descent.  
  
"Selenity," he whispers, "Are you all right?" Slowly, she opens her eyes  
and gazes sadly into his deep ocean colored eyes. In them she sees so much  
love and concern for her, but it only brings more tears when she thinks  
about the fate of the four sailor soldiers lying nearby. Why is it that  
their dreams cannot come true like hers? It makes her guilty lying safely  
in her husband's arms while her friends are alone with their hearts  
literally torn from their soul.  
  
"Selenity, what happened?" he asks. "Why didn't you stop when you felt that  
your powers were being drained to almost none? What were you thinking? You  
could have been killed!" he reprimands.  
  
"The soldiers…" is all she whispers as tears escape from her eyes. "…so  
much pain." Following her mournful gaze, Endymion realizes that none of  
four Sailor Soldiers have regained life yet.  
  
"Why…why didn't it work?" Zoisite asks the question Endymion is about to  
make public.  
  
"Why aren't they even breathing?!" Jadeite demands in frustration.  
  
The others look earnestly at Selenity to provide them with the answers to  
their hearts. Selenity lets her gaze fall to the floor in front of her.  
She knows that she will not be able to withstand seeing their heartbroken  
gazes when she tells them the answer they seek. It will obliterate any  
hopes that are left in them. She desires so much to hide this knowledge,  
but they deserve to know the truth. Quietly, barely audible in the hushed  
room she speaks, "They do not want to live."  
  
"What?" Nephrite asks in surprise.  
  
"Their spirits are broken, their hearts becoming nothing but a dry desert;  
they no longer even attempt to hold onto existence. There is nothing the  
crystal can do if their very desire is death. There is no way I can bring  
them back."  
  
"But why?" Nephrite asks the motionless Jupiter. "Why must we be separate  
again?"  
  
"They…" Selenity pulses to gain her strength and then continues," they  
wanted to die in order to be with you."  
  
"No!" Jadeite cries, "Mars no! Don't leave me, please don't…I'm alive! Look  
my love I am alive…flesh and bones and…God please…Mars come back to me…"  
Overcome by uncontrollable sorrow, he buries his face in her dark hair and  
sobs until his eyes sting with pains that match his heart, "…please come  
back."  
  
Kunzite looks down at Venus with sad calmness. "My love," he whispers,  
"Must our paths be separated like this? Will we never find peace together?"  
  
Zoisite whispers to the lifeless body of the delicate blue soldier in his  
arms, "Once I would have given up anything to live, but without you this  
life means nothing to me. I am willing to end it so that by your side I  
would sleep."  
  
"Aren't there any other…any way at all to bring them back?" Nephrite asks.  
  
"There is one other way," a soft voice whispers from behind.  
  
They all turn in surprise to find a middle-size dark hair young girl  
standing in the doorway with three tall figures flanking her sides. Her  
fathomless purple eyes gaze silently at the fallen bodies of her friends.  
  
"Tell us what this other possibility is," Jadeite demands.  
  
"No Saturn!" Selenity intervenes. "I strictly forbid you to even suggest  
such an alternative."  
  
"But you majesty, " Pluto interferes, "it is the only other way!"  
  
"No," Selenity stubbornly refuses to accept Saturn's suggestion. "There  
are never only one solution to a problem. There is always another path we  
can take."  
  
"I'm afraid, this time, this path is the only one, dear Queen," Saturn  
speaks softly and calmly. "If you want them back, this is the only way."  
  
"What way?" Jadeite shouts angrily. "Tell us what this other alternative  
is?"  
  
"No," Selenity argues again, but before she can continue any further Kunzite  
interrupts her.  
  
"Please my Queen," he says solemnly, yet his voice carries such a sad note,  
"If this is the only other solution then let it be so. For whatever reason  
you are objecting to Saturn's suggestion, I beg you do not. I understand  
that you are probably trying to protect us, but the ones who need help here  
are the Inner soldiers. What this other choice is we will gladly accept."  
  
"Do you know what you are saying?" Selenity asks. "By choosing this path  
you have chosen death."  
  
"It is better death, my Queen," Nephrite says, "then to live an empty life  
without a purpose…without her." Looking up from Jupiter's pale face to gaze  
into the depths of silence, he asks, "Tell us, Saturn, what we must do to  
bring them back."  
  
This time Selenity does not attempt to stop Saturn. She realizes that this  
decision is theirs to make…and they have made it. There is nothing she can  
do now.  
  
"You will die…and they will live," Saturn speaks in a grave tone.  
  
"Either way, you will lose them…and they will lose you," Uranus informs  
the generals.  
  
"Do you still want to continue on this path?" Neptune asks.  
  
Kunzite replies softly, "If it was a question of want, then our answers  
would be no, but we are given neither a question nor a choice. We do what  
we must, what we know we need to do."  
  
Nephrite adds, "It is better to dwell among the dead, then know that they  
will never see the light again."  
  
"Then you have made your choice," Selenity says, "so be it." She begins to  
call the crystal back into her hands. Drawing from it another type of  
power, one of which many never knew the crystal is capable of having, she  
whispers:  
  
Souls of one,  
So begun,  
Weave into life,  
Threads once spun.  
Cut the four and  
Nevermore,  
Awaken thee.  
  
Within her palms, the silver crystal begins to glow. Once the last word of  
the incantation left her trembling lips, a flood of light invades the room,  
drowning all its occupants in silver tides. Instantaneously, eight beams of  
solid energy, emitted by the crystal, pierce into the hearts of the kneeling  
generals and the dead soldiers. Their bodies immediately stiffen in  
response to the silver spears when it sliced into their souls.  
  
I would like to say that warmth envelopes them so as to ease the pain that  
already flooded those poor hearts, but it would be false and unjust for me  
to do so. No one can hide, or can one deny the painful expression so  
clearly unveiled upon their faces. Many have seen the power of the crystal  
when it healed the wounded, protected the innocent and bring life to those  
who had none, but none have witnessed the crystal's power of destruction.  
Saturn is not the only one who has the power of silence and so here in this  
very room, among dear friends and loves, the crystal reveals its dark side  
by taking the life of four in order to revive four others.  
  
This is a spectacle Selenity had always hoped to avoid, the sacrifice of  
one to save another. In all these years she searched for solutions that  
might avoid such dire results; and, until now, she had always managed to  
avoid them. Even with Saturn's sacrifice against Pharoah 90 years go, she  
used her powers to bring her back, along with everyone else. It has always  
been her belief that no one or no thing should be relinquished in order to  
save another. If one person or thing deserves to live than so does the  
other. Yet, now *she* is the one who must carry out this sacrifice in order  
to save four others. Though it is not truly her decision, but theirs, it  
was a sacrifice that they all feel in their hearts, nonetheless,…and one  
which she'll always remember.  
  
They all watch in silent sorrow as the crystal ends the lives of their dear  
friends; and they watch in guilt-ridden joy as the crystal revives their  
dearest companions and comrades.  
  
He can feel immediately the incredible rush of pain flood through his entire  
body to the very marrow of his bones. He wants to cry out in agony and  
escape this torturous blade slicing his soul in twain, but he knows he  
cannot, and must not, regret his decision, which he made for one fair angel  
resting limply in his arms. Trying desperately to ignore the incredible  
pain burning his nerves, he looks down at her ashen face surrounded in halo  
of pale gold. Even in death she is still beautiful, his numb mind manages  
to think, as beautiful as in life.  
  
"But soon life will bring warmth to your cold body," he bends down to  
whisper into her ears, "and crimson flames to your pale lips." Growing  
weaker with each passing moment, he carefully lays Venus's body down onto  
the soft carpeted floor. Bending down, he kisses her with passion so long  
hidden…and one that will soon be gone. Then slowly he lies down beside her  
awaiting the moment he knows will soon come. Strangely he does not feel  
sorrow, or the loneliness that have haunted him for so long. No…his heart  
and mind can only feel a strange sense of warmth and peace, a peace found  
in the knowledge that he has been able to see her once again, though for the  
last time. At least he knows she will live and live well…that is all he  
asks for…that is all he truly needs.  
  
The outer soldiers watch in grim silence at the spectacle unfolding before  
them. Years of solitude at their posts have molded their hearts into cold  
objects beating emptily within their chests. One cannot blame them for  
their harsh tactics, or their seemingly unresponsive and illusive nature.  
It is the emptiness of open space that has shaped them to become what they  
have become. What the inner soldiers understand and feel, is what they can  
only glimpse from a far. It is a difficult and lonely life these outer  
soldiers must lead, and it is that life that has shaped them what they are,  
emotionless, strong, and determined to do what needs to be done…and whatever  
it takes to get that done. Guarding an entire region of a great  
civilization in complete isolation teaches the outer soldiers the strength  
of patience and acceptance. It is hard for them to understand why the  
others have let all this grief control them. Once the decision have been  
made, and the understanding that it must be made, then accept it for what  
it must be. All this sorrow will only weaken the soul, not help the  
situation in anyway. Do not think that the outer soldiers lack any ability  
to feel grief or love. They are human like the rest, but they have matured  
to a point where control of their emotions lead to understanding and  
acceptance of the inevitable. They have journeyed on a long and hard course  
of training taught by life, but they have completed this training and  
triumphant. The outer soldiers understand that their life is an unmerciful  
one, that in order to survive and carry out their duty as guardians they  
must learn to control their emotions and, instead of cry in sorrow,  
understand that sorrow and accept it without regret.  
  
Yet, even their hard training cannot bar the emotions that lie deep within.  
This sacrifice so readily made by the Generals touch the last warm place  
still in their hearts. The loss of friends will always be felt even within  
the best-trained soldier.  
  
They all watch as the Generals grow weaker and weaker and weaker…until  
death is only a breath away.  
  
"My lovely Mercury," Zoisite whispers to her, "I wish I can hear the ending  
of your enchanting song." Coughing slightly he continues with a heavy tone  
as a single tear trickles down his pale cheek, "Please forgive me…forgive  
me for breaking this promise…I…had meant…to keep." His body now felt  
completely drained as he lays himself down on his back beside her and closes  
his eyes for the last time.  
  
One by one, their life energy flows from them, ending their pains, ending  
their guilts, ending their lives. Then a final burst of energy signifies  
to the onlookers that the end is here. With a final magnificent show of  
incredible power, the crystal fades from view.  
  
Silence is now among them. Like a heavy cloak suffocating its wearer, the  
feelings of sorrow and indescribable loss enfolds them.  
  
Suddenly desperate grasps broke through the chains of silence that trapped  
them. Eyes widen with painful joy as they see the four Inner Soldiers take  
a breath of life.  
  
Blues, green, violet eyes burst open from their deep slumber only to shut  
again at the painful sight awaiting them. As always it is Mars who first  
speaks, "J-Jadeite?" she asks with a trembling voice. "Jadeite?" she calls  
his name again, "Please love wake up. Jadeite, please wake up! Open your  
eyes! Look at me, damnit!"  
  
"They cannot," Saturn whispers in a sympathetic voice portraying emotions of  
grief.  
  
"No," Mercury breathes, "Please don't say it. They cannot…cannot be…"  
  
"I'm sorry Mercury, " Neptune says softly, "but they are…gone."  
  
"No!" Jupiter cries, "They can't be gone. They are not dead! I…I just saw  
them only a few moments ago. They can't be dead…they can't be…" In  
blinding grief, she grabs the collar of Nephrite's coat and jerks his body  
up to her so that his pale face is before her. Shaking him violently she  
screams at him, a heartbroken scream, "Liar! You promised me you'd return!  
You lied to me!…H-how could you lie to me?……..Oh Nephrite why?"  
  
She lays her head on his slumped lifeless shoulder while her hands embraced  
him in her last desperate hold of her lost love. Painful sobs wrack her  
tired body as she continues to hold onto him. In a voice drowned with  
incessant tears, she whispers words that echo the torn hearts of her three  
friends mourning nearby, "Must I lose you again?"  
  
============================================  
[Remember to email me!  
All right, the Finale is on its way!]  
  
  
@2000  
  
  



	9. Once again...

FINALE!  
  
All right, this is the last chapter to this tale. A bit of caution  
for those weak of heart. This story does not have the fairytale happy   
ending  
many might have read in the first two fan fictions of mine. I decided to  
make this one a bit on the sad side, but I hope that you will still fine a  
single ray of light at the end. I never like to end stories completely  
without hope. Hope is an important thing to have and hang onto in life,  
and I try to keep that in my stories no matter how it ends.  
  
This story is about the Generals and it  
is related to the Manga, taking place not long after the  
Dark Moon Kingdom.  
  
This story is rated PG (Nothing serious, so don't worry) ^_~  
  
Everyone please email me, I really really would like some input on  
this story. Besides, I love to receive emails from ya' all! ~_~  
  
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness  
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made  
possible by DiC.  
  
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com  
  
= thoughts  
[ ] = author's note  
  
All right, on with the show! I hoped you liked this story.  
  
============================================================================  
GEMSTONE'S OATH   
========================= By Cosmos ==================================  
  
Chapter 8: Once again...  
  
  
  
Never is a thing so tragic as to lose the one you love. And it is this  
tragedy that has befallen the four women within this very room…  
  
"You will die and they will live, " Saturn's words echo in their minds.  
  
"Either way, you will lose…." Uranus' words ring like a bell in the hollow  
silence of their grieving hearts.  
  
To lose. To be defeated. Fighting against the hands of fate is to gain a  
losing victory. But why must this happen to them? To live an existence  
forever engaged in an ongoing battle has brought enough misery, must there  
be more? Is there no end to this river of sorrow? Is there no peace, no  
light at the end of this dark tunnel?  
  
What cruel hands are dealing the cards of this merciless game? To place a  
pawn against a King knowing full well he shall be defeated. What cold soul  
has so unkindly brought false hope to young hearts in order to break them  
when the hope is gone? There are so many unanswered questions and so many  
broken dreams.  
  
One can blame it on fate, one can blame it on destiny, one can blame it on  
chance, but whomever the blame falls unto, their future has been set…and  
this life they must lead.  
  
Mars sits there in misery gazing with dry eyes at the pale face of Jadeite.  
Unlike her friends, she refuses to shed these tears threatening to escape  
its violet prisons. What good will it do to cry, she thinks.  
Only more misery is all these damn tears will bring. How empty her  
soul feels, like a large portion of it have died along with him. Tears  
once again push against the gates of the spheres that held them, but she  
is determined not to let them flow. There is nothing she or anyone can do  
for them now. Neptune is right; they are gone. It is something she must  
live with and something she must learn to accept. There is no reason to  
cry.  
  
'We have returned, why can't they?' Mercury's earlier question echoes in  
her grief stricken mind.  
  
Because they were never meant to, she answers mentally.  
  
She knows there is only one thing left for her to do…one thing she must  
do…they all must do if they truly love these men. She looks up to catch  
three mournful gazes directed at her and each other. Without a word, they  
understood each other's thoughts. Without the slightest gesture, an  
agreement is made among them.  
  
Mars returns her gaze to her fallen lover. Slowly her pale lips part in a  
heartbroken whisper, "I free you of your promise…my love."  
  
Upon the last sound of her voice, the Generals' body begins to glow and  
slowly fades from their embrace. It is as if the Generals were still  
holding on to any remaining trace of life they had in order to be with  
Inner Soldiers as they have promised. But now that Mars has released them  
from this binding oath, their souls are at last at peace…and free.  
  
Before Kunzite's body completely vanishes from her view, Venus whispers,  
"I will always love you." A single, pure tear slips from her pale face,  
falling…  
falling…  
falling…  
falling…  
falling toward him….  
only to pass right through his faded form to be absorbed by the silent  
floor below.  
  
  
  
  
Time continues to flow neither pausing nor stopping in its persistent  
journey toward eternity. No pleas or sorrows of any kind can cause it to  
cease in its path; and as with time, the shifting of dawn and dusk comes and  
goes in the blink of tear adorned eyes.  
  
The nightmare that had occurred now rests uncomfortably in a cushion of  
faded memories created over the course of five years. Yet even time cannot  
ease the pain of the heart as one might hope. It only smoothes out the  
jagged ridges to leave a clean sharp edge behind, an edge that prevented  
these four hearts from healing.  
  
Must they always lead a hopeless life with desires forever unmet? Is there a  
lesson to be learned from this? If so then life has a harsh way of teaching  
it.  
  
Yet, what can they do but continue on this path and hope that perhaps one  
day it will cross again with those they have once loved. You may wonder  
after all that has happened why they still believe in this.  
  
As Venus and Jadeite once said, "You must believe," because that is all you  
have when you have nothing else.  
  
........................  
  
Pale beams of moonlight pierces the shadow in a beautiful dark room and  
placed its enchantments on four lonely stones upon a pedestal. Forlorn  
sighs escape from pale lips in echo of the chilled reclusive twilight.  
The moonlight marks the dawn of night and their awakening once again…  
  
  
=============== The End =====================  
  
[Well, that's the ending to this story. It is a bit of a rush to finish  
this story so this chapter is slightly short, I apologize  
for that. Anyway, the rest I will leave up to your imaginations.]  
  
  
@2000  



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